By John Ameh
Youth of Epe area of Lagos state on Tuesday resisted operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from allegedly planting foreign currencies in the home of the immediate past governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode.
The youth under the aegis of Young Lawyers in Epe, disclosed that the anti-graft agency’s operatives attempted to enter the ex-governor’s home with a bag suspected to be filled with foreign currencies which was intended to incriminate Mr. Ambode.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by one of the group’s leaders, Mr. Fatai A. Adebanjo, the group requested for a search warrant from and subjected the operatives to a search where the bag reportedly stashed with foreign currencies was discovered.
“There was a blue bag which they were holding with them, we requested to see the content of the bag before they could take it in. They got angry and said we cannot see the content. Having said that, we strongly resisted them to take it in since they cant allow us to see it, which they later agreed. We later got to know that the bag contained foreign currency which they brought to plant in the house of the Ex- Governor to incriminate him.
“It is important to inform the public that before the entered the house, we all submitted our phones to them as they requested that the only person required to go in with phone is one of them who will record the whole process.
“All documents, including the State Executive Exco Meetings Vol 1 – 16 in the personal study of the Ex-Governor and His Luggage room which they intended to take along with them for further investigation was resisted by us as we told them that failure to take records of all the documents from A-Z, they cannot go out with anything and they agreed with us.
“Flowing from the aforesaid, they searched the nooks and crannies of the Ex Governor’s house and they couldn’t find any incriminating documents or materials. We authoritatively assert that, they did find anything in the house and they didn’t leave the house with anything.
“We followed them as they entered from one place to the other, when our presence was intimidating them, they said we should sit down while they will do the search. We resisted that we must follow them to observe every of their activities in the premises.
“To our greatest consternation, the officials of EFCC led by Rotimi Oyedepo, Esq held on to our phones and told us to follow them to their office in Ikoyi to get our phones. All efforts to get back our phones was abortive as the EFCC officials led by Rotimi Oyedepo, Esq rushed into their white Hiace Bus with our phones and instructed that since we have resisted their efforts to take “the said blue bag” into the main premises of the Ex Governor, they will hold on to the phone. Thus, almost six (6) phones were forcefully taken away, iPhones inclusive.
“It is our happiness as Young Lawyers in Epe to be part of the process to legally and successfully resist the EFCC from incriminating the Ex Governor with the blue bag they brought with them from an unknown destination, and we also compelled them to conduct the search within the ambit of the law. Hence, the success.
“We are sincerely elated that our presence really helped a long way to legally and successfully expose the intention of the EFCC to incriminate the Ex Governor. To this end, we are ready to challenge the search as they have gone beyond standard and the search warrant in this regard successfully whisking our phones away,” the statement read in part.
