Foremost human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has pointed accusing finger
at Governor Ayodele Fayose for the killings of some prominent
politicians in the state.
Falana alleged that Fayose’s hand is stained with the blood of Tunde
Omojola, Dr. Ayo Daramola, Engr Kehinde Fasuba and several others whose
barbaric killings were traced to him by the police.
According to The Cable, the outspoken lawyer who responded on
Wednesday through Shina Odugbemi, coordinator, value and integrity
group, further called for Fayose’s arrest.
”Unlike Mr. Fayose, who has been indicted by the Police and the
State Security Service as well as the High Court and the Court of
Appeal, no other governor in Ekiti State has been found liable for the
cold murder of any citizen. If Mr. Fayose has any evidence linking any
other governor with politically motivated killings, we dare him to
publish it or send it to the police without any delay.
”He can be rest assured that Mr. Falana will not hesitate to
insist that justice be done, even if the Heavens will fall. However, Mr.
Falana is convinced beyond any shadow of doubt that the law will soon
catch up with Mr. Fayose for the grave electoral malfeasance, criminal
diversion of public funds and serial murder of unarmed people in Ekiti
State committed by him with reckless impunity,” the statement reads.
Falana had earlier accused the governor of complicity in the alleged rigging of the Ekiti state governorship election.
The governor, who replied the lawyer in a statement issued by Lere
Olayinka, his spokesman said the Falana should focus on his own
business.
”It is therefore important that Falana be told in clear Yoruba
language that ‘Falana gbo ti e’ (Falana concentrate on your own
business),” the statement reads.
Read Femi Falana’s full statement:
When the independent national electoral
commission declared Mr. Peter Ayo Fayose as the elected governor of
Ekiti State on June 21, 2014, the candidate of the APC, Governor Kayode
Fayemi conceded defeat in the election.
Observers who monitored the election unanimously concluded that
the election won by Mr. Ayo Fayose was fair and free. Based on available
evidence at the material time, Mr. Femi Falana SAN also confirmed that
the election was won by Mr. Fayose. In saying publicly that Mr. Fayose
won the election Mr. Falana offended the APC leaders who were convinced
that the election was rigged in favour of the winner by the federal
government. To demonstrate that he does not subscribe to Mr. Fayose’s
primitive ideology of “stomach infrastructure” Mr. Falana refused to
join the legal team of the APC which challenged the validity of the
election at the election petition tribunal up to the Supreme Court.
However, in recent time, earth shaking revelations have been
credited to those who took part in the illegal use of armed soldiers to
manipulate the election in favour of Mr. Fayose. When the revelations of
Captain Sagir Koli who recorded the conversation of the electoral
bandits including the altercation between General Aliyu Momoh and Mr.
Fayose were published last year there were denials by the dramatis
personae. Even though Mr. Fayose initially denied the recording and
attempted to discredit it he later admitted his role in the sordid
affair. Embarrassed by the incident, the authorities of the Nigerian
Army instituted a panel of inquiry to probe the role of military
personnel in the Ekiti and Osun states’ governorship elections. The
panel carried out its assignment and recommended that 62 army officers
and soldiers who were involved in the criminal enterprise be sanctioned.
In the ongoing investigation into the criminal diversion of $8 billion
earmarked for the purchase of arms and armament, the Economic and
Financial Commission has traced N4.8 billion to a former defence
minister for the funding of the coup de tat.
The secretary of the Ekiti state chapter of the Peoples
Democratic Party, Dr. T. K . Aluko has since given a detailed account of
the military coup that ensured the “victory” of Mr.Fayose in the
disputed election. One Olalere Olayinka, a personal assistant to Mr.
Fayose was unable to challenge the grave allegations made by Dr. Aluko.
For want of credible defence in the circumstance the Ekiti state
government is alleged to have obtained an ex parte order for the arrest
of Dr. Aluko. But since the allegations are too serious to be swept
under the carpet the State Security Service and the EFCC have intervened
with a view to interrogating and prosecuting all the suspects who took
part in the criminal activities committed during the election. In the
light of available fresh evidence on the fraudulent manipulation of the
election Mr. Falana was compelled to review his position. It is on
record that he is not the only one who has questioned the credibility of
the election in view of the revelations credited to some of the
civilian and military personnel who staged the coup. In other words, Mr
Falana made his comment immediately after the election last year based
on the information at his disposal. Therefore, the allegation of
inconsistency on the part of Mr. Falana is a figment of Mr. Fayose’s
warped imagination. Having consistently demanded the prosecution of all
the wicked criminals who shared in the looting of the fund for
procurement of arms Mr. Falana has called for the arrest and trial of
Mr. Fayose and his cohorts over the N4.8 billion deployed to perpetrate
the grave electoral malfeasance that characterised the last Ekiti state
governorship election. In particular, Mr. Falana stated that Mr. Fayose
should be tried since he was a candidate and not a governor when the
serious electoral offences were committed by him. For his contention
that the governor’s immunity does not cover his impunity Mr. Falana
cited several decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
With respect to fresh facts which have established that the election was
marred by monumental fraud Mr. Falana has opined that the Supreme Court
could be approached by the APC to review its judgment on the
endorsement of the election of Mr. Fayose since it is trite law that any
judgment obtained by fraud is liable to be set aside. Instead of
joining issues with Mr. Falana on his views Mr. Fayose has resorted to a
campaign of calumny. While not denying his involvement in politically
motivated killings in Ekiti State Mr Fayose has accused Mr. Falana of
maintaining silence over killings which occurred when Dr. Kayode Fayemi
was the governor.
But since the allegation exists in the demented imagination of
Mr. Fayose and his killer squad they have deliberately suppressed Mr.
Falana’s regular condemnation of violent attacks in ekiti state under
the Kayode Fayemi government. Notwithstanding that the allegation is
spurious and uncalled for it is pertinent to advise such characters to
goggle the following publications: (1)” Killings: Falana threatens FG,
firms with law suit” (2)” Falana seeks arrest, prosecution of culprits”
(3)”Falana condemns Iyin Ekiti violence” The cheap blackmailers may also
check the Senior Advocate’s positions over the unlawful killings at
Ifaki, Ijan, Ikere, Ilawe, Aramoko, Omuo, Ado, Erijiyan which occurred
from 2003-2013. Apart from ensuring that the suspects were charged to
court Mr. Falana made the state government to pay compensation in
deserving cases. In other matters he filed suits in courts on pro bono
publico basis to compel the police to prosecute the powerful murder
suspects including Mr. Fayose. In taking up such cases Mr. Falana risked
his own life and personal liberty. The problem with Mr. Fayose is that
his hands are stained with the blood of Tunde Omojola, Dr. Ayo Daramola,
Engr Kehinde Fasuba and several others whose barbaric killings were
traced to him by the Police. Sometime in 2005, an Akure based lawyer,
Mr. Morakinyo Ogele cried out that Mr. Fayose had concluded plans to
kill him. Following the publication of the allegation by The News
magazine Mr. Fayose sued both the magazine and Mr. Ogele for libel at
the Ekiti State High Court holden at Ado Ekiti . As counsel to the
defendants Mr. Falana pleaded and proved at the trial that the
allegation was true in every material particular. The trial court
confirmed Mr. Fayose’s involvement in politically motivated killings in
Ekiti state. Having diverted N1.2 billion on a poultry scam the trial
court further held that he has no reputation worthy of protection.
Dissatisfied with the epochal judgment Mr. Fayose rushed to the Court of
Appeal. In dismissing the vexatious appeal the Court of Appeal also
indicted Mr. Fayose. Unlike Mr. Fayose who has been indicted by the
Police and the State Security Service as well as the High Court and the
Court of Appeal no other governor in Ekiti State has been found liable
for the cold murder of any citizen. If Mr. Fayose has any evidence
linking any other governor with politically motivated killings we dare
him to publish it or send it to the police without any delay. He can be
rest assured that Mr. Falana will not hesitate to insist that justice be
done, even if the Heavens will fall. However, Mr. Falana is convinced
beyond any shadow of doubt that the law will soon catch up with Mr.
Fayose for the grave electoral malfeasance, criminal diversion of public
funds and serial murder of unarmed people in Ekiti State committed by
him with reckless impunity.
source: naij.com
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