By Rotimi Ojomoyela

Ado-Ekiti—Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of turning itself into instrument of political oppression and intimidation against the critics and perceived opponents of the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government.

The anti-graft agency had through an order of the court placed restriction on Ozekhome’s account with the Guarantee Trust Bank containing N75 million legal fee paid by Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Ozekhome said the restriction placed on his account over allegation that it contained slush fund from the suspected Fayose’s account , was a calculated attempt to ridicule him for defending the governor in the law court.

Ozekhome

The lawyer tagged EFCC as gradually becoming a tool to punish the critics of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

In his words: “I can’t be ruffled for this action , because I have not done anything illegal, illegitimate or illicit or something out of ordinary.

‘’Governor Fayose paid me my professional fee , which was a sum of N75million out of the humongous amount owed me over cases I am holding for him, his aides and friends.

“I am currently prosecuting eight cases on his behalf. The one involving Abiodun Agbele and Zenith bank, Femi Fani-Kayode’s wife and others. As a professional, I gave my professional fees but the governor could not pay because his accounts had been frozen by EFCC, which makes the governor financially strangulated.

“But last year December, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court unblocked the account. The governor transferred the money into my Chambers’ account .

“In recent time, I had defeated EFCC in five different cases and so it has developed a complex for me and they thought they could embarrass me. When has payment of legal fee become or translated to commission of a crime?

“The transfer of money was not done by force, nor under false pretence or through the barrel of gun. The money is legitimate and legal. EFCC is bringing itself to the level of becoming the enemy of the people”, he stated.

Ozekhome said he has been a consistent critic of Buhari’s government and this he said he did out of the passion for the liberation of the downtrodden Nigerians.

“In every of my criticism, I had always proffered solutions. I have always spoken for the rejected, dejected, depressed, oppressed, repressed and the hapless in the society. So, this allegation of money laundering by EFCC is insidious, odious and invidious and it came from the pit of hell.”

The lawyer said he will soon file a suit against EFCC for the reversal of the action.