Fani-Kayode’s story has changed

monjola sotubo

May 11, 2016 9:30 AM

Fani-Kayode appeared at the EFCC’s headquarters, for questioning, on May 9, 2016, and is still in the agency’s custody.

Former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on May 9, 2016.

Former aviation minister,

Fani-Kayode appeared at the EFCC’s headquarters, for questioning, on May 9, 2016, and is still in the agency’s custody.

He is alleged to have received N840 million in looted funds while participating in the re-election campaign of former president, Goodluck Jonathan.

The former minister had, before his “arrest”, been one of the most prominent critics of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption drive.

He also earlier accused the Buhari administration of victimizing “innocent” men and women in the name of fighting corruption.

“Now let the Ancient of Days and He who never sleeps or slumbers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, judge between this government and all those innocent men and women that they are demonizing and persecuting and that they seek to torment and destroy,”he wrote in an article titled “The money transfers & the truth about the presidential campaign funds” in April 2016.

“As long as Jesus is on the throne and our hands are clean, no matter how long it takes, we shall prevail and ultimately they will pay a heavy price for their malice, injustice and wickedness,” he added.

Fani-Kayode also denied hiding from the EFCC and practically dared the commission to come for him, but when it did, he raised an alarm about his home being “surrounded” by EFCC agents.

“Can someone please tell me why they are at my gate? They can’t even wait because they want to detain me so badly and keep me away for the weekend. I never refused their invitation. Why all this? I leave them to God,” he said.

With just the mere threat of arrest, Fani-Kayode changed from a fierce lion to a cowering mouse, despite his previous heroics.

The former minister has also changed his initial story and is now saying that he didn’t “knowingly” spend government money.

“I was assured that the funds were not public funds but were sourced from private individuals. I never knowingly spent government money all through. The money was spent specifically on the campaigns. The accounts were audited and we were commended by the President,” he said.

Unfortunately for Fani-Kayode, ignorance is not an excuse, and the EFCC is determined to retrieve the looted funds from him.

It is hoped that the former minister can produce and return the money to avoid being prosecuted and jailed, seeing that he has a young son to raise.

However, this should serve as a warning to Fani-Kayode and he should, from now on, know better than to make noise when he’s not sure of the ground on which he stands.

monjola sotubo