EFCC gets Court order to search Bankole’s homes

[emezico]

The former speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, spent his first day in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday without taking meals given to him by operatives of the commission.

Bankole whose arrest on Sunday attracted mixed reactions on Monday, was said to have relied only on meals brought to him by people believed to be his relatives

An EFCC source, who made this known to our correspondent, also claimed that the anti-graft agency had obtained court orders to execute search warrants at the former speaker's homes in Lagos and Abeokuta.

"He (Bankole) has not been eating the meals that we gave to him. He prefers the ones brought to him from people from outside. But that is not of serious concern to us. The good news is that we have court orders to search his apartments in Lagos and his home state," he said.

When asked to name the court(s) that gave the orders, the source, who did not want his name in print because he was not permitted to make comments on Bankole's arrest declined, citing 'confidentiality.'

He, however, disclosed that the former speaker's lawyers had visited the commission's headquarters to discuss bail conditions for him , but were told that investigations were ongoing.

The source added that the outcome of Bankole's interrogation would determine the commission's next line of action, particularly as it affected other lawmakers who had been linked to the N10bn loan scam that partly led to the former speaker's arrest.

"Nobody will dictate to us what we will do. When we get to that point we shall decide," the source said.

When contacted, the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said Bankole, had an option to eat the food provided by the commission or brought to him by any of his family members or friends.


Source: The Punch