Multi Billion Naira Fraud: Bankole Arrested At Last By EFCC

Dimeji Bankole
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) swooped and arrested former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole who was planning to scuttle his planned Monday surrender to the agency.

The EFCC said Bankole was plotting other schemes to scuttle his voluntary surrender or arrest today.

Bankole was arrested in his Asokoro, Abuja, residence at about 8pm on Sunday after resisting arrest again for more than four hours.

The commission in a statement signed by its Head of Media & Publicity, Femi Babafemi, said “the EFCC Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri was compelled to order the immediate arrest of Mr. Bankole after analyzing an intelligence report which showed that the former speaker was planning to leave Abuja for Lagos on Sunday evening and thereafter flee the country through an illegal route”.

“While our men kept surveillance around the former speaker hoping he will honor his promise to report on Monday, a fresh intelligence gathered by the commission showed that Bankole was not ready to keep his promise but was rather planning other schemes to escape from the country through an illegal route or obtain a restraining court order early on Monday to prevent the commission from effecting his arrest or prosecution”, the statement added.

It would be recalled that Bankole had twice shunned two invitations extended to him in the last two weeks by the EFCC, which climaxed last Friday when he resisted attempts by operatives to arrest him in his Asokoro, Abuja residence.

 
The EFCC operatives had to be withdrawn after over five hours stand-off after a commitment from Mr. Bankole that he was going to surrender himself on Monday.

Meanwhile, the former Speaker, according to the commission, will remain in custody to enable him have sufficient time to answer questions on the numerous fraud allegations against him.