Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose has debunked the claim by former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, that he gave him (Fayose) part of the money he got from ex-National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Fayose said the claim by Obanikoro, who is currently in EFCC custody, that he collected some money from him, was a clear indication that he was drowning and looking for someone to go down with him.

Speaking with Sun, Fayose said despite the myraids of allegations leveled against him, he would come out pure.

He compared his current situation to the Biblical Jesus, who despite many trials, came out victorious.

He said, “I wouldn’t want to join issues with EFCC or Obanikoro. But I remembered very well that Obanikoro was firing very serious salvos at the EFCC before now.

“I remembered all his statements in the press, but this dramatic return, he did not stop at the airport and there was a clear entrance straight to the EFCC custody; it simply shows that there is a hand of Saul in the voice of Jacob.

“I’m used to all these conspiracies and the fact remains that in all these, Jesus is Lord, in all these, victory is sure, in all these, I’ve not lost any battle and I’ll not lose any. Let me believe that Obanikoro did not say all these because whatever you say, you would have to prove it in court.

“It is not enough to just say it. If he’s saying all these to get out of trouble, it is just a drama of the moment. I know he is looking for ways out of the quagmire as his house was seized, his bank accounts were frozen and all that. May be, my brother and friend, Obanikoro is looking for easy way out so they have to heap everything on Fayose.

“I’m used to all these. In the meantime, I am busy as governor of Ekiti delivering good governance to my people. What they wanted during their conspiracy at my first tenure was to stop me politically forever.

They didn’t want me to rise politically again; that was what all the first poultry allegation with EFCC in 2006 is all about but I won.

“Today, I can adjudge what would happen tomorrow by the victory of yesterday. So, their fear is my rising profile: their fear is – where is this Fayose going?

“Don’t you forget that in the Bible, the three wise men who came to greet Jesus Christ and who saw tomorrow about Jesus Christ just as the then King Herod too, saw tomorrow about Jesus Christ and he told the wise men to come back to him and reveal where Jesus was so that he could go and kill him.

“But the wise men didn’t go back that way. So, they saw my tomorrow and knew that I was rising. I’m going to be among those people that would take over from them. I have a future, I have greatness ahead of me and no greatness comes without a battle and struggle.

“So, they should keep their gun powder dry, behave like a responsible organization whose strength is in their coded investigation. They should stop messing themselves up. You see, nobody knows what would be the situation in two years time, but when we get to the bride, we would cross it.

“Again, if Obanikoro says he gave me such huge money, where did he get it from? Why will he take such huge cash like that? Why will an honourable federal minister of the country be saying that he took cash like this and gave to me?

“You can now see how EFCC operates, but we will talk about that when we get to court. They are only looking for ways for nexus, to link me at all cost, to destroy me at all cost.

‘It is just like in the Bible when they asked the people should we replace the thief with Jesus for the punishment but the people said no, it is Jesus we want.

“So, it’s Fayose that is all they want in all these drama, I hope that by now, they would have released all Obanikoro’s confiscated assets and property.”

The naira hit its weakest level on the black market in more than a week at 460 to the dollar on Wednesday, as a central bank move to channel dollars to retail currency outlets failed to ease liquidity shortages, traders said.

The unit had been quoted at 455 since Oct. 17 before weakening on Wednesday, they said. On the official market, the naira ended at 305.50 per dollar, a level it has closed at for more than two months, supported by central bank interventions.

The naira had been relatively stable on the black market after the bank asked international money transfer firms to sell dollars directly to bureau de change operators to boost liquidity and narrow the gulf with the official market.

The directive was initially effective, traders said, but its impact has been limited due to few dollars coming into Nigeria.

According to Reuters, one trader told the news portal that “What we get from Travelex is not sufficient,” referring to demand in the market.

International money trasfer firm, Travelex, sells around $15,000 to 1,000 retail currency outlets weekly, but the amount is a fraction of what is required to cover demand from individuals and small businesses.

Dollar shortages have caused many firms to halt operations and lay off workers, compounding an economic crisis exacerbated by the fall in global prices for oil, which accounts for 70 percent of Nigeria’s budget revenue.

The central bank has struggled to support the local currency as its dollar reserves have continued to fall. Traders say the naira has been testing new lows as they try to find thresholds where liquidity can begin to return.

There was pandemonium in Abesan Federal Housing Estate, Ipaja in the Alimosho axis of Lagos yesterday, Tuesday, October 25, 2016, after suspected cultists wreaked havoc in the area.

During the attack, a man identified simply as Bebo, was butchered in cold blood leading to his death on the spot.

Presently, shops in the area are currently locked for fear of a reprisal attack in the community. Inside Mainland gathered from a source that residents were thrown into confusion when the cultists stormed the area on motorcycles. The gang, according to reports had been on the trail of Bebo before he was cornered at the spot where he was murdered.

The source who craved anonymity disclosed that “he is popularly known as Bebo in the area. He visited a pharmacy to get drugs before he was hit unaware. The guys who attacked him outnumbered him and he couldn’t escape the scene.”

It was gathered that Bebo was formerly a student of the University of Lagos before he dropped out. A source revealed that “He is feared in the area because he is a member of the Eiye Confraternity. He was the second in command while at Unilag and also held the same position in Abesan before he was killed yesterday night.”

Another resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said that “he was killed at Greenland Bus stop after stepping out of the drug store. The cultists blocked him while he tried to run and immediately took turns in inflicting cuts on him before he died.”

When asked if security operatives have visited the scene, the source told a correspondent that “Police officers were around yesterday after the incident but no arrests were made. Presently, the area is deserted and there is no security presence.”

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested two suspected hired-assassins and a female banker over failed attempt to assassinate her ex-husband identified as Tochukwu Onyebuchi.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu paraded the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Abeokuta on Wednesday.

He said the banker, Oluchi Tochukwu, hired the suspected criminals to assassinate her husband in his residence at Ayobo area of Lagos State.

Iliyasu named the two suspected assassins as Chigozie Smart (32) and Kingsley Ikechukwu (36).

He said they were intercepted and arrested on Oct. 19 at Ijebu-Ode while attempting to escape to Onitsha with the victim’s Range Rover Jeep.

He said Oluchi was arrested at Ayobo area of Lagos State.

He said, “One Oluchi, a 32-year-old banker, who is married to one Tochukwu Onyebuchi years ago, got separated from her husband following some matrimonial problems.

“The custody of their only child is currently being contested in the court but Oluchi has another plan.
“She connived with the trio of Chigozie Smart, Kingsley Ikechukwy and one other who is now at large to eliminate her husband.

“She arranged for the weapons which includes cutlass, iron rods and acid which she kept in her husband’s compound at Ayobo area of Lagos State and described where she kept it to the assailants.

“The suspects went there on Wednesday as planned and matcheted the man severally on his head and poured the acid on him.

“The suspects thereafter abandoned the victim and took away his range Rover Jeep which Oluchi instructed them to drop at her brother’s place in Onitsha, Anambra State.

“Luck ran against them when a patrol team of the Ogun State command on Wednesday sighted the vehicle along the Ijebu-Ode/Benin expressway and stopped it for search.

“While searching the vehicle, blood stain was seen and the two occupants were unable to give satisfactory account of the blood stain, hence, they were arrested.

“It was during interrogation that the suspects revealed all that transpired to the police.”
The commissioner said that the victim, who had been treated at an undisclosed hospital, was in the custody of the police helping them in the process of investigation.

Oluchi, however, denied contracting the duo of Chigozie and Kingsley and one other at large to assassinate her husband.

Oluchi, who acknowledged that her three-year-old marriage to her husband had crashed, told journalists that she had no reason to kill him.

Meanwhile, Chigozie told newsmen that it was Oluchi who hired them to kill her husband with a promise to purchase “Tokunbo” cars for each of them after a successful operation.

– NAN