Engr. Jelili Adekunle Kareem , Mogaji Adanla has refuted the claims that he was detained by the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)
It was reported in some online that Mogaji Jelili Adekunle Kareem Adanla was detained by The Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) Ibadan over alleged financial scam involving over 100 million naira.
Addressing pressmen at his residence early Thursday morning, the Ibadan chief who is also the Turaki Adini of Oyo state vehemently denied the rumours of his arrest.
He said, all the rumours can be connected to his unfriendly relationship with the former deputy governor of the state, Engr Rauf Olaniyan who was recently impeached, as he is interested in tarnishing is image. He also said that he has been expecting this kind of reaction, having been a witness to his impeachment from office.
While giving his take on the rumours of his detainment, he said
“My take is that, it is not unexpected of us, as I’m a key witness in the lawful impeachment of the deputy governor, Rauf Olaniyan. Yes, after that you don’t go on to sleep. I have said all I know about his construction and I major in project management before you embark on any endeavor you do a risk assesement where you identify the risk and mitigate against them. Hence, this is part of the hazard already identified, so it didn’t caught me unaware, again it is not new as they have been on it for the past two years, but it doesn’t affect us, as we are well prepared.”
Also, giving the reasons for the rift between he and the former deputy governor and the relationship with EFCC, the Mogaji said
“I was invited on the 17th of December base on a bogus petition sponsored by some powerful people, someone that use to be powerful in this current administration. I was interrogated, they identified things that needed to be identified, after that I felt so aggrieved, then I submitted a petition to the Oyo state house of Assembly regarding this intimidation and it corrupt dealings that lead to my intimidation. It is as simple as I got the contract to reconstruct the deputy Governor’s lodge and as soon as I got that all I was getting from the then deputy governor was send this money to this, send this money to that, and during that course we ran out of money to execute the project, in the course of that we have a business that we have common interest in, both i and Olaniyan.”
“So knowing fully well that his relationship with the Governor and whoever is not too good I do not know what took me to the attention of the Government and I’m getting serious push from the ministry of works who happens to be the supervising ministry on project, so I was left with no choice than to put hand in the common purse that we had, and remove money to continue the project.”
“He felt so bad about that and he was telling me the money is his private thing, and that this one is for government, then I told him that if you had not been involved with Government money, we would have not gotten into this, hence he saw it has a confrontation, he later asked me to send the furniture element as read by the Assembly during his removal and also ask me to send another 40 million to his private purse for the furniture components of the project that he had already procured the furniture. He arranged meetings with the staff of the ministry of works giving them the standing order to send money to his account where they refused vehemently, making all the reasons clear to him.”
“Hence they made that clear to him which he wasn’t happy about, that was when the Cold War started, promising that he will destroy me so this is the scenario.”
While answering if he was detained at the custody of EFCC as of yesterday, he said,
“I was not at the custody of the EFCC but because i do go there regularly regarding that petition. I’m a known person but not wanted.
“When you are dealing with EFCC, until the case file is closed they give you specific time to come appear with them for checkups and further investigation, and my visit is just that not an invitation or detention. My visit yesterday was to clearify certain things so it is a normal thing. There was nothing of arrest!! The intention behind it is to rubbish me, I’ve tried to make peace with him, but all proved abortive. He vowed to destroy me.”
While also addressing further rumours of the petition used for the deputy governor’s impeachment was induced by any form. He said,
“The petition use for his impeachment was not submitted for that purpose, it was submitted dated as far back as January. I can show you the copy of the document. I’m not a card carrier of any party in Oyo state, as the Turaki Adini I’m meant to be partisan, I’ve friends and family in both PDP and APC. I’ve had a lot of things that Oyo state government gave me one billion in cash to testify against him. Nobody gave me any money. The reason I wrote the petition was for intimidation that I received from him since December 2020, another in December 2021, using the police and EFCC to arrest me. I was in the custody of EFCC for 34 nights, if you are the one will you fold your hands? Hence I need to cry out to the assembly, as the petition was the thing I could use. The pettion dates back as January.”
