Embattled Lagos Speaker vows to probe Governor Fashola

With the collapse of his scheme to use Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court, Lagos to quash the money laundering charges filed against him by the EFCC, embattled Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Sabitun Ikuforiji returned from the court room today to the Alausa, Ikeja Assembly complex spitting fire and brimstone, with a threat to expose Governor Babatunde Fashola who he accused of being the mastermind of the criminal charges against him.



Four members of the Assembly who spoke to iReports-ng.com on the development today said the Speaker returned from the court disillusioned with anger all over his face. At the continuation of Ikuforiji’s trial today, the presiding judge, Justice Okeke, gave a brief, impromptu ruling, alleging “blackmail”. According to the judge: “This case has witnessed an unprecedented delay by the prosecution and tactics set by persons to blackmail this court. In the interest of justice, I’ll transfer the case to another judge and hearing notices will be issued at a later date. This matter is hereby adjourned sine dine.”

The EFCC had dragged the Speaker and his aide Oyebode Alade Atoyebi before the court over the allegation of accepting over N500million from the Assembly without passing through a financial institution. iReports-ng.com had in previous reports exposed the bribery scheme between Ikuforiji and Okeke who is retiring from the bench next month. The judge had through a proxy called iReports-ng.com to deny he ever collected bribe from the speaker.

The whole scheme however fell flat today when Okeke opted out of the case without being able to fulfil his initial commitment to Ikuforiji to quash the case. With this frustration, the speaker stormed the Assembly complex this afternoon and called all the standing committee chairmen to begin looking for evidences of corruption in ministries they oversee with a view to getting”some scoops to embarrass the governor.”

According to one of the lawmakers who spoke to iReports-ng.com, “the speaker complained bitterly that the governor is the one behind his ordeal by paying the media and the EFCC to be on his case. He complained that the governor has not deemed it fit to pay his legal fees since the criminal charges against him began. The speaker also said he will not go down alone because he is only being accused of stealing N500 million when the governor is stealing in billions. After raising all the dust, he went ahead to ask the committee chairmen to join him in the fight against Fashola by digging out dirts from the various ministries.”