Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, arrested the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
He was accused of embezzlement, forging signatures and financial documents of the assembly.
The development disrupted the sitting of the assembly.
Oluomo was said to have been on the wanted list of the commission following his failure to honour several invitations extended to him.
The PUNCH learnt that his refusal to honour the EFCC invitation followed the suit instituted by the assembly against the anti-graft agency in January at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta.
The House in suit N0: FHC/AB/CS/7/2022, dated January 14, 2022, soughtan order of interlocutory injunction restraining the EFCC from inviting or interrogating the speaker in connection with the criminal allegation made against him and some others by an aggrieved member of the assembly.
A worker at the assembly who pleaded anonymity said the speaker was picked up at the Lagos airport by the EFCC operatives following a tip-off.
An EFCC source disclosed that Oluomo was subsequently flown to Abuja for interrogation.
Attempts to get confirmation from the commission failed as the EFCC National and South-West spokespersons, Mr Wilson Uwujaren and Mr Dele Oyewale, did not take their calls.
Meanwhile, a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly confirmed Oluomo’s arrest.
He said, “The information you got is correct. Our speaker was arrested by operatives of the EFCC earlier this morning. From what I gathered, he was alleged to have been involved in misappropriation and embezzlement of funds.”
Oluomo was still in custody of the anti-graft agency as of the time of filing this report on Thursday evening.
It was gathered that the absence of the speaker prevented the assembly from holding its Thursday sitting.
It was learnt that the Deputy Speaker, Akeem Balogun, could not convene the sitting of the house.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Yussuf Adejojo, said the speaker’s arrest might have prevented the lawmakers from observing its sitting.
“Yes, the House was supposed to sit today but due to one reason or the other, our sitting has been postponed until further notice,” he said.
When asked if the postponement was due to Oluomo’s arrest, Adejojo said, “Well, it might be, but the information about the postponement has been out before the arrest of the speaker, but it might be because, as the Speaker, he is the one that will preside over the sitting, so the postponement might be because of this.” – Punch.
