Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has been granted administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Fani-Kayode’s bail conditions include providing sureties who must be 2 serving directors with landed properties in Abuja, the capital city.
He arrived at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Abuja in the morning of Monday, May 9, 201 in a police convoy following an invitation which was extended to him on Friday.
The EFCC invited Fani-Kayode to explain his role in the disbursement of N840 million believed to be a part of an alleged N2.5 billion payment from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account to a company linked to former finance minister, Ms. Nenadi Usman.
EFCC operatives had laid a siege to Fani-Kayode’s residence on Friday, soon after the invitation letter was delivered. But in a dramatic twist, as journalists began to arrive at the scene of the standoff, the EFCC operatives hurriedly dispersed, seemingly, in confusion. The siege lasted for over 6 hours.
Fani-Kayode said he was surprised at the turn of events after he had promised to show up with his lawyer on Monday.
He was the director of publicity for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation during the general election of 2015.
Few days before he was invited, Fani-Kayode had released a statement in which he debunked media reports that he was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Fani-Kayode, described the earlier reports of his arrest as absurd, “I am not a coward”, he said and added, “this attempt to further demonise and humiliate me by the EFCC will fail”.
“If they have any questions for me why don’t they just write to me or call me, give me a date and I will be in their office. I have made my position clear on the issue of the Presidential campaign funds, I have written an essay about it in my various columns about two weeks ago and I have been waiting for the EFCC to reach me ever since then,” he wrote.
“They have invited others but they have not invited me. I do not believe that I have done anything wrong and this latest attempt to criminalise me and make me look like a fugitive from justice will fail.
“Others that were invited to the EFCC over this same campaign funds issue were sent letters of invitation and were reached. I appear to be the exception and now these hideous lies are being fed to the newspapers to make it look as if I am in hiding or that I am running from them.”
As at the time of filing this report at 5pm, an inside source, confirmed that the bail had been granted but arrangement was being made to perfect the conditions. In the meantime, Fani-Kayode and his team are still at the EFCC office.
