Saraki Reacts As Court Orders Forfeiture Of His Houses

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has reacted to an order issued by a Federal High Court in Lagos for the forfeiture of his two houses in Ilorin, Kwara State’s capital.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Yusuph Olaniyonu, the former Governor of Kwara state averred that EFCC’s claim that the two properties designated as Plots No. 10 and No. 11 Abdulkadir Road, GRA, Ilorin,

were built with proceeds of fraud is outrightly false as they were partly built by the Kwara State Government pursuant to the Third Schedule of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010.

Saraki also alleged that the anti-graft agency is playing politics and spreading falsehood in its cheap attempt to witch-hunt and intimidate a perceived enemy.

The statement read in part “The EFCC’s claim that the Ilorin property was built by any proceed of fraud is outrightly false.

The fact is that the Ilorin property was built partly by the Kwara State Government pursuant to the Third Schedule of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010 while Dr. Saraki personally funded the remaining cost of the building.

“There are existing letters from the Office of the Head of Service of Kwara State notifying the former Governor (Saraki) of the State Government’s compliance with the State Pension for Governor’s law and the one indicating his intention to bear the cost of the additional expenditure that will arise from building the property to his desired taste dated 25th January 2012 and 8th February 2012 respectively.

“The construction of the building did not commence until the last few weeks of Dr. Saraki’s tenure as Governor and the bulk of his contribution to the funding were made with cheques. Where cash was involved, this was mainly in 2012 and 2013, more than a year after he had left office as Governor.

“It should also be noted that the land on which the house is built is not a government allocated land.“One can only see that EFCC is playing politics and spreading falsehood in its cheap attempt to witch-hunt and intimidate a perceived enemy.”