THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, based on a petition said to have been authored and signed by the immediate past Commissioner for the Environment, Muiz Banire. The commission's spokesman, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest to The Guardian on phone.
Babafemi said he was been interrogated over an alleged N7billion fraud and was still in EFCC custody as at 7pm yesterday.
But Ikuforiji's Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Rotimi Adebayo, insisted that his principal was arrested, saying he "merely honoured the invitation" of the anti-graft commission.
"The Speaker, on his own volition, decided to formally honour the EFFC's earlier invitation sent to his office when he was away to the lesser hajj," Adebayo said in a statement.
He added: "The Speaker only just returned to the country from humrah on Wednesday night of 31st August, 2011 and he immediately scheduled a date with the EFCC operatives to honour their invitation.
"We also wish to state that the rumour making the rounds that he was arrested and detained has no truth whatsoever in it and should therefore be discountenanced.
"We wish to add that the Rt. Hon. Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji is a law-abiding citizen who has been striving to pursue the overall interest of Lagosians and development of Lagos, our great state to a better level."
Ikuforiji, a two-time Speaker, represented Epe Constituency in the last assembly, but is currently representing Ikeja Constituency.
Aside from the N7billion fraud, Rt Hon. Adeyemi Ikoforiji is also alleged to have been economical with the truth, as he failed to reveal his criminal past in his submissions to INEC.
The Guardian