EFCC reveals how Lagos Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji transferred millions of state funds into personal accounts

The trial of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, began on Tuesday with the commission detailing how the accused funnelled over N36 million legislature’s money into his personal accounts.

Mr. Ikuforiji and his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi, are facing a 20-count charge of money laundering, and conspiring and accepting cash payments to the tune of N500 million from the House without going through a financial institution.

An EFCC investigator, Adeniyi Adebayo, being led in evidence by the anti graft agency’s counsel, Godwin Obla, narrated how various sums of money was paid into Mr. Ikuforiji’s bank account in one year.

Between July 2010 and August 2011, N36.52 million from the House of Assembly’s Cash Office were deposited into the Lagos Speaker’s private bank accounts, according to Mr. Adebayo.

The sum of N6million was deposited on July 2, 2010; N5million on August 1, 2010; N5million on July 9, 2011; N4million on July 27, 2011; N10.52million on August 31, 2011; and N6million on October 8, 2011; the EFCC said.

“Part of the cash received from the cash office of the Accounts Department of the Lagos House of Assembly by the second accused (Mr. Atoyebi) was used to run errand for the first accused (Mr. Ikuforiji),” Mr. Adebayo told the court.

The EFCC counsel tendered an exhibit before the court, a statement purportedly made by Mr. Atoyebi in October 12, 2012, in which he admitted to have collected the various cash payments from the Assembly’ s Cash Office and how he deposited the N36.52 million into Mr. Ikuforiji’s bank accounts.

In addition to allegedly converting state funds to private use, Mr. Ikuforiji was further accused by the EFCC of signing off various sums of money under shady circumstances.

The commission said that they possess statements by other members of the House of Assembly and civil servants in the state legislature detailing such jamboree payments.

For instance, Bolaji Ayinla, a member representing Mushin Constituency 11, stated how, with the speaker’s approval, he collected N22 million in cash for members of the House of Assembly and the staff of the legislature for the 2011 Ramadan celebration.

Lambo Abosede, a civil servant, stated how she paid N7 million to Tell magazine in April 7, 2011.

Another civil servant, Toyin Atekoja, who works at the House’s Accounts Section stated that “various cash payments were made to various persons.”

According to the EFCC, Ms. Atekoja said that 14 members of the House each received N1,128,859, in cash, for the second conference and annual general meeting of Commonwealth Parliament Association held in Kigali, Rwanda.

Mr. Atoyebi allegedly collected, in cash, N3,313,721.90 on behalf of the speaker for the same purpose.

Okechukwu Okeke, the trial judge, fixed March 19, 20 and 21 for continuation of trial.