Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have been barred from entering Akinwunmi Ambode’s house in Epe by his neighbours and kinsmen.
The EFCC stormed the house of the ex-governor as part of an investigation of his administration.
In a video, some residents of Epe could be heard asking where the operatives of the EFCC were in a bid to chase them out of the community.
A woman was heard saying in Yoruba, “They were unable to do anything there. It is good they did not do anything.”
An individual recording the attempted raid said the EFCC operatives ran away, boasting that the people of Epe would not allow the commission to enter Ambode’s house.
He said, “You can see what is going on now, the Epe people did not allow them enter the house. They ran away.
“Epe people will not allow this, it will not happen, they all ran away. Live at Ambode’s house.”
However, the EFCC said it was acting within the confines of the law.
“It is instructive that his administration, like other former governors, is under investigation since they no longer constitutionally enjoy immunity against prosecution.
“Whatever the commission is presently doing with regards to the investigation is in line with its mandate and the rule of law,” it said.
The EFCC alleged it traced and froze N9.9 billion in three bank accounts domiciled in First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Access Bank, and Zenith Bank with numbers 5617984012, 0060949275 and 1011691254, respectively.
According to the commission, the accounts are managed by Adewale Adesanya, permanent secretary in the office of the chief of staff to the governor of the state on behalf of the state during Ambode’s administration.
The anti-corruption agency had denied raiding the former governor’s Epe home in a statement today.
FULL TEXT OF STATEMENT
We Did Not Raid Ex-Gov. Ambode’s Residence-EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has since early hours of today, been inundated with calls that operatives of the Commission raided the residence of the former governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode.
We need to state for the records that the EFCC did not raid Ambode’s house. It is instructive that his administration, like other former governors, is under investigation since they no longer constitutionally enjoy immunity against prosecution.
The Commission hereby states with a high sense of responsibility that the operatives did not raid Ambode’s residence.
Whatever the Commission is presently doing with regards to the investigation is in line with its mandate and the rule of law. We wish to inform the social media to be circumspect in the reportage of any news with regards to investigation activities of the Commission.
As a tradition, the Commission does not carry out an investigation on the pages of the newspapers or through the media. Our operations are always covert until at a time when we file charges in court.
Therefore, the attempt to cast the Commission in a bad light is unacceptable as the EFCC will never engage in an illegal act. We remain committed to the war against corruption.
