Fayose begs EFCC for extra mattress to sleep comfortably inside holding cell

Former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has requested the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to provide him with an extra mattress in his holding cell to make him more comfortable.

The former governor gave himself up to the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, amid allegations of receiving N1.3 billion from the office of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, in the run up to the Ekiti State governorship election in 2014.

Fayose made a show of turning himself in on Tuesday as he wore a shirt with "EFCC, I'm here" inscribed on it, and also carried two packed bags as he earlier said he was prepared to be detained.

According to a report by The Nation, the former governor has written the EFCC to demand an additional mattress in his cell.

He complained that sleeping on one mattress was too flat to accommodate his frame in the cell and that two mattresses will be more comfortable for him.

"He has demanded for a second mattress from the anti-graft agency and I think they are looking into his request. They want to find out from him the type of mattress needed to make him comfortable in custody," an EFCC source told The Nation.

It was recently disclosed that a Federal Capital Territory High Court has empowered the EFCC to keep Fayose in detention for two weeks, a remand order that's subject to a renewal if requested.

"We have obtained a court order to hold Fayose for at least two weeks pending investigation. He could be released earlier or later than two weeks depending on the outcome of investigation," a source told The Punch.

After three days in detention, the former governor is still being grilled over the N1.3 billion and another $5.377 million he allegedly received from former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, to help his re-election campaign in 2014.

The former governor has dared the agency to take him to court with whatever evidence it has against him, but the EFCC is believed to want a statement from him before proceeding.

"Fayose will still undergo another round of grilling on Friday (today). We cannot just arraign him in court without obtaining a statement from him," a source told The Nation.

In a leaked audio of the former governor's interrogation by EFCC operatives he said he'll no longer cooperate because the commission is partisan and is only interested in persecuting him.

"You're no court of law. You can't force me to say what I don't want to say. I've told you earlier and I'm saying it again; it's only in the law court that I can get justice.

"Your commission has showed your hands as partisan, to prefer to bring me down at all cost and that will not get my cooperation," he said.

Fayose's other 'sins'

Fayose is also believed to be under probe for allegedly receiving bribes from various contractors as Ekiti State governor. He is alleged to have used fronts to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja with bribes from said contractors.

The EFCC is also believed to be investigating the former governor over another alleged N1.3 billion fraud at the Ekiti Integrated Poultry Project Biological Concepts Limited.