Governor Fayose Threatens To Sue EFCC For Placing Him On Watchlist

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has threatened to sue the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for placing him on a watchlist and directing that he should be arrested if he attempts to leave the country as a sitting governor.



The outgoing governor also demanded N20 billion as damages, a written apology from the commission to be published to all Security Agencies in Nigeria, three National Newspapers and the Social Media as well as the withdrawal of the request/directive to Security Agencies to place him on security watchlist.

In a statement on Thursday by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, Fayose stated that unless these demands are met within 72 hours of the date of this letter, he would drag the commission to court.

Olayinka noted that the demands were contained in a letter by the governor’s counsel, Obafemi Adewale, dated September 3, 2018, which was received at the Abuja office of the EFCC on Wednesday.

The letter reads in part “Our Client has directed that we demand of you and we hereby demand as follows; a retraction and withdrawal of the aforesaid request/directive to Security Agencies to place our Client of the security watch list and arrest him at sight even whilst he still enjoys immunity as Governor forthwith.

“A written apology to our Client published to all Security Agencies in Nigeria and in 3 National Newspapers and the Social Media for the flagrant mischievous and deliberate attempt to breach his constitutional rights and malign him in the eyes of right thinking members of the society.

“Payment of the sum of N20bn as damages to our Client for the flagrant, deliberate, pre-meditated and reckless libel and unprovoked attack on his character and reputation and breach of his constitutional right/immunity as an incumbent Governor.

“Take notice that unless these demands are met within 72 hours of the date of this letter, we shall not hesitate to carry out our client’s firm instruction to proceed forthwith to institute legal action against you to seek appropriate remedies before the law court without any further recourse to you.”