Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested Ekiti lawmakers.
The arrest, it was gathered, was aimed at ascertaining their involvement in the alleged fraud that characterised the last governorship election in the state.
Those arrested were described as Fayose’s men because of their closeness to the governor.
A former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Dr. Temitope Aluko, had alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Fayose $35m to prosecute the election.
Before that money was given, Aluko further alleged that the former President also gave Fayose another $2m to enable him win the Peoples Democratic Party governorship primary.
Fayose was the candidate of the PDP during the election and it was alleged that he used the money to manipulate the security agencies which enabled them to move against governorship candidates of other political parties, including Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress.
The governor has repeatedly denied the allegation.
Since the allegation was made, the DSS was said to have been investigating those whose names were mentioned by Aluko.
Aluko was also the star witness for the governor while defending his mandate at the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Those whose arrest could be confirmed by our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday evening were a member of the State House of Assembly representing Efon Alaye Constituency, Mr. Afolabi Akani and another member of the Assembly, Mr. Musa Arogundade, who is representing Ado Ekiti Constituency 1.
Also in the DSS net is Mr. Ropo Ogunjobi, who was recently sacked by the governor as the Chairman of State Internal Revenue Board.
It was gathered that not less than 25 suspects would be invited by the operatives.
“More arrest would be made in the coming days,” a security source told our correspondent on condition of anonymity.
However, while investigating the involvement of the suspects in the Ekitigate, investigations by our correspondent further revealed that the DSS was said to have stumbled on other issues.
While some of the suspects, including those yet to be arrested, were said to be the “pointers for the strike team” during the election, the DSS was also said to be working on the business activities of some of them.
“We dug into their past, their business interests and others and what we found was quite revealing,” an operative told our correspondent.
Apart from that, it was gathered that the DSS was also investigating the educational qualifications of some of the suspects.
Our correspondent also gathered that one of the suspects was said to have been involved in the blocking of the road during an alleged plan to impeach the governor by 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers in the last dispensation.
A source said, “One of the suspects used trailers to block the Itawure-Ilesha Road and kept the keys, thereby preventing the free-flow of vehicles.
“He will tell us on whose orders he carried out the illegal action.
“He was also the one that was alleged to have led the team that assaulted Justice Ademola Adeyeye on the corridor of Ado Ekiti High Court sometimes ago. We won’t allow such to go away without investigation.”
Ogunjobi, who was said to be Fayose’s friend, was said to be undergoing investigation on the management of the state funds while he held sway at the revenue board.
Before his appointment, he was said to be an officer in the same board, but was said to have been a close ally to Fayose before the latter became the governor.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti State House of Assembly has declared four lawmakers missing after the men of the DSS invaded the state assembly on Friday.
The Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, while briefing journalists in Ado Ekiti on Saturday with other 12 lawmakers, claimed that more than 10 DSS men, who were armed to the teeth, invaded the Assembly complex, shooting sporadically into the air.
He said the action caused panic among members and staff of the assembly, who had to scamper for safety.
“At the end of the commotion created by this barbaric act, we discovered that four of our members could not be found.
“It was only this morning that we were able to establish that Afolabi Akanni, representing Efon Constituency, was abducted and taken to Abuja.
“The whereabouts of three other members is still unknown as we speak, and reasons for the invasion and abduction of our members are not known.”
It was also learnt that the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Toyin Ojo and Special Assistant on Works, Odunayo Arinka were also invited by the DSS.
PUNCH NEWS
