EFCC declares ex-NIA boss Oke, wife, wanted

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayodele Oke and his wife, Folasade, wanted after they failed to answer for fraud charges filed against them.

A statement from EFCC acting spokesperson, Tony Orilade said Justice Chukwujeku Aneke of a Federal High Court Lagos, had on February 7, 2019, issued an arrest warrant on them, consequent upon an oral application by counsel for the commission, Rotimi Oyedepo.

Orilade said Oke and his wife were wanted in connection with the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 cash recovered by the EFCC from an apartment at Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, in April 2017.

They are facing a fourcount charge bordering on money laundering offence to the tune of N13 billion, filed on Friday, February 1, 2019.

Oke was sacked as the Director General of the NIA by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, October 30, 2017.

In April 2017, he was suspended after EFCC officials raided an apartment at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos which he described as a ‘safe house’.

It was learnt Oke and his wife have been evading arrest and twice refused to honour court dates to be arraigned.

He had also refused to honour invitations by EFCC operatives investigating the recovered funds after his suspension as DG.

It was also gathered that acting DGs of NIA who succeeded Oke, went to the EFCC and gave information to investigators to shed more light on the discovery of the funds.

On 20th November 2017, officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) had prevented EFCC operatives from arresting Oke, during a raid at his residence in Abuja.