From: WOLE BALOGUN, Ado Ekiti
Human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome says for freezing of his accounts, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is acting out the script written for it by the Federal Government, while alleging that the anti-graft agency was turning out to be an instrument for political oppression and intimidation against perceived opponent of the ruling party.
The EFCC had slammed a restriction placed by court on the senior lawyer’s account with the Guarantee Trust Bank containing a sum of N75 million legal fee paid by Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti, on Thursday, Ozekhome said the restriction placed on his account over allegation that it contained slush fund from the suspected Fayose’s account, was a calculated attempt to ridicule him for defending the governor in the law court.
The lawyer branded EFCC as gradually drifting into political arena and becoming a tool to punish the critics of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
He said: “I can’t be ruffled for this action, because I have not done illegal, illegitimate or illicit or something out of ordinary. Governor Fayose paid me my professional fee , which was a sum of N75 million out of the humongous amount owed me over cases I am holding for him, his aides and friends.
“I am currently prosecuting eight cases on his behalf . The one involving Abiodun Agbede and Zenith bank, Femi Fani-Kayode’s wife and others. As a professional, I had given my professional fees but the governor could not pay because his accounts had been frozen by EFCC, which makes the governor financially strangulated.
“But last year December, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court unfrozen and unblocked the account . He then transferred the money into my Chambers’ account .
“In recent time, I had defeated EFCC in five different cases and so it has developed a complex for me and they thought they can embarrass me. When has payment of legal fee become or translated to a commission of a crime?
“The transfer of money was not done by force, or done under false pretence or through the barrel of gun. The money is legitimate and legal. EFCC is bringing itself to the level of becoming the enemy of the people”, he stated.
Ozekhome said he has been a consistent critic of Buhari’s government and this he said he did out of the passion for the liberation of the downtrodden Nigerians.
“In every of my criticism, I had always proffered solutions. I have always spoken for the rejected, dejected, depressed, oppressed , repressed and the hapless in the society.
“So, this allegation of money laundering by EFCC is insidious, odious and invidious and it came from the pit of hell”. The lawyer said he would soon file a suit against EFCC for the reversal of the action.