TheCable

Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the allegation of money laundering levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is “insidious, odious and invidious and from the pit of hell”.

According to Daily Trust, the lawyer said this on Thursday while addressing reporters in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti state.

Earlier in the week, a federal high court placed restriction on the lawyer’s account domiciled with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).

The court gave the ruling following an application by the anti-graft agency.

But Ozekhome accused the EFCC of trying to ridicule him because he had defeated the commission in five different cases in recent times.

The lawyer also said the agency was unhappy with the fact that he was defending Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti.

Taunting the commission, Ozekhome said there are eight different cases that he is handling for Fayose at the moment.

“In recent times, I have defeated EFCC in five different cases and so it has developed a complex for me and they thought they can embarrass me,” he said.

“When has payment of legal fee become or translated to a commission of a crime? I can’t be ruffled for this action, because I have not done illegal, illegitimate or illicit or something out of ordinary.

“Governor Fayose paid me my professional fee, which was a sum of N75m 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. As a professional, I had given my professional fees but the governor could not pay because his accounts had been frozen by EFCC, which made the governor financially strangulated.

“But last year December, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the federal high court unfroze and unblocked the account. He (Fayose) then transferred the money into my chambers’ account.

“The transfer of money was not done by force, or done 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.”

The lawyer vowed to challenge the agency in court to ensure a reversal of the action.