Mr Isaac Fayose, the chairman of Anis Security and brother of ex-Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of carrying out what he called ‘intimidation’ against him because he criticised the commission’s chairman, Ibrahim Magu and his mode of operation.
The businessman who was arrested by the EFCC about a week ago on an allegation of duping one Joe Onyiuke of a sum of 17 Million Naira called the allegation a cheap blackmail.
Read Isaac’s official response to EFCC here:
Sometime in 2008, one Joe Onyuike sub-rented out a plaza from me at 8m a year, for 12 rooms hotel, night club of a capacity of 500 people, Chinese restaurant and a garden…. When he came I already had a tenant in the club, Mr Wanta who paid 6 months’ rent on the club, at 500k a month times 6 months plus 300k agency fees totaling 3.3million, and I had Mr. Patrick Osobase who paid 3million for the club for 6 months rent, and 300k to the agents making 3.3million.
Mr Joe Onyuike came for the Chinese restaurant and the garden he later changed his mind saying, he would sort the existing tenants and take control of the whole complex. He offered me 8million a year and 2 years rent instead of collecting 6 months rent offer which I agreed, on condition that he would pay an interest of 300k extra to the 3 existing tenants. They all agreed and he made a draft for them from the 16million rent.
3 months later, Mr Joe Onyuike came back to me and asked me to return a year rent back, he took me to court and I won the case. The Judge ordered that my 6.5m be paid back.
Since then, we have been in court and we are currently at the Court of Appeal.
In 2008, I was invited by EFCC and SFU to ascertain the property is genuine and the transaction is pure with no criminal intention, of which I was given a clean bill, that it is purely a civil matter, and we should thrash it out in the court of law.
To my surprise in 2014 , when my brother won the election in Ekiti State , the same Mr Joe Onyuike, went to Special Fraud Unit in Lagos to make the same complain of which I was arrested and after investigation I was given another clean bill that it is a civil matter. In June 2019, I was invited by the same EFCC that gave me a clean bill in 2009!!! 10 years after, they claimed they have criminal evidences now which they didn’t show me and they served me a court process that they stated was prepared since January 2019.
On Thursday, the 4th of July , 2019, I was arraigned at the High Court Lugbe and I got a bail on Friday.
The property in question is in Jabi Abuja, opposite the lake and it is still existing till date with a value worth up to 7 billion naira owned since 1995, by my late mother in-law, which I leased for 6 years and I paid for the lease and renovated the place to standard before Mr Joe Onyuike came on board.
However, in a chat with journalists, Isaac asked ‘how would I dupe my tenant? The case is in court, go and verify if the EFCC is speaking the truth. Check all the documents and see who is lying. The judge told them this to their faces that they had no case against me’.
When asked what could have prompted his arrest, Isaac claimed ‘did you forget the time they took my brother, Ayo Fayose to court? I was the one that mobilised his supporters and I was there that day attacking the EFCC, I was there calling out their boss, Magu and I think that was my offence. The newspapers and television captured me saying the truth against Magu…that’s my sin. Since then it has been one issue over another. I’m a clean businessman, go and check my records. They can’t use me to disgrace my brother,’ he fumed.
Isaac explained he called out the EFCC boss because he felt he was trying to victimise his brother, ‘I am loyal to my brother and cannot stand it when they are plotting evil against him. Fayose stands for the truth and he is not a coward, we know the reason behind all the cheap blackmail.
Isaac was granted a bail by Justice Mohammed after pleading not guilty to the charges against him. His lawyer argued that the said property is owned by Isaac Fayose and it’s beyond understanding why a tenant would allege that his landlord duped him.
The case was subsequently adjourned to September 26, 2019.
Packaged by Mayowa Owogbade
