*Operatives of the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, over alleged corruption, forgery, and financial impropriety

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Following the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s arrest of Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly (OGHA), early Thursday, September 1, 2022, the House suspended its sitting for the day.

It was learnt the EFCC operatives arrested the Speaker at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), in Lagos.

Report indicates Rt. Hon. Oluomo, a three-term lawmaker representing Ifo 1 State Constituency, in Ogun State, was arrested over allegations bordering on corruption, forgery and financial impropriety.

The Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Akeem Balogun (Ogun Waterside State Constituency), who is statutorily saddled with the responsibility of conducting the businesses of the Assembly in the absence of the Speaker, also could not convene the sitting of the House as of the time Leadership visited the Assembly Complex, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Though there was no official statement from either the OGHA Clerk or any of the Speaker鈥檚 aides regarding the suspension of sitting, the suspension of proceedings at the Assembly may not be unconnected with the arrest of the Speaker, which reportedly caught all Members and Staff of the Assembly unawares, particularly when the lawmakers normally sit every Tuesdays and Thursdays.

However, there was unusual calmness among other lawmakers, most of who expressed skepticism over possible arrest of other members of the House, report stated.

It was also gathered that EFCC鈥檚 arrest of the Speaker may have been informed by his alleged refusal to honour previous invitations extended to him by the anti-graft agency for questioning over some 鈥渦nholy鈥� deals carried out by the Ogun Assembly under Oluomo鈥檚 speakership.

An anonymous source at the Ogun Assembly complex revealed the Speaker鈥檚 refusal to honour the EFCC鈥檚 invitations was premised on the existing litigation instituted by the Assembly earlier January 2022, at the Federal High Court sitting, in Abeokuta against the anti-graft agency, according to report.

It is recalled that the Ogun Assembly in suit No: FHC/AB/CS/7/2022, dated January 14, 2022, is seeking an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the EFCC from taking further step, 鈥渋ncluding but not limited to inviting, interrogating, imposing obligations and demanding or requiring attendance of the plaintiffs/applicants in connection with the criminal allegation made against the speaker and some others by an aggrieved member of the Assembly.鈥�