The Governor-elect of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, may not be left with anything to start his administration with when he is sworn-in officially sworn in as the executive governor of the state.

Following, Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s defeat at the polls in the February 23 National Assembly election, there has been an alleged massive clean out of the state’s treasury.

Ajimobi’s bid to be the Senator representing Oyo South at the Nigerian Senate was a small defeat compared to his inability to have Bayo Adelabu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to succeed him in office but the governor may be taking it in strides with the latest moves within the Oyo State Government.

 

Remember that, Oyo State government has been in the news lately for unpleasant reasons relating to shady movement of funds.

In March, part of over N1 billion moved out of the State House by Ajimobi between the night of Friday 22 and Saturday 23 was confirmed missing by SAHARA REPORTERS.

Few days later, it was reported by SAHARA REPORTERS that Ajimobi suspended his Special Adviser on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Niyi Ajao, without pay for mismanaging election campaign funds.

Sometimes last week, the former Special Assistant on Youth and Student Matters to Ajimobi, Godwin Obode, was arrested by men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) following his refusal to return the N18.5million he received from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State for the general election but did not spend.

But there seems to be a new confusion surrounding state government following the loss of a sum of N357million while it was being conveyed to some banks in the Ibadan, capital of the state.

SAHARA REPORTERS confirmed that the money was moved out of the Oluyole residence of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his wife Florence, but those conveying the money had not reached any of their destinations when they were  attacked by unknown gunmen, who made away with the money.

It was also gathered that the man who drove the vehicle, an old man known as ‘Baba Obe’, is a trusted hand, as he has been around the Ajimobi family for decades. In fact, he drove Ajimobi’s father, who was once a member of the Old Western Region House of Assembly, for a long time in his lifetime. These days, he drives Ajimobi’s last born.

“He was just drafted in to do this,” said a source familiar with the occurrence revealed to SAHARA REPORTERS.

“The money was moved out in a Toyota Hiace bus. They were going to deposit some of it in Access Bank and the other in Heritage Bank, but they were attacked on Ring Road, just before the roundabout where a road leads to Iyaganku and the other to Apata. Everything happened between 7:20am and 7:35am.”

It was also learnt that the man detailed to oversee the movement of the money, simply identified as ‘Semiu’, was wounded during the attack, his head hit with a gun; and that the money was passed on to her by Damola, a personal assistant to the Governor’s wife who is also the daughter of Segun Bolarinwa, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security.

Semiu has since been arrested, especially as the Oyo government hierarchy believe that only an insider could have known that the money was being moved out.

When SAHARA REPORTERS contacted the Police Public Relations Office for Oyo state command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, to ask if he was aware of any robbery incident at Ring Road, he said he wasn’t but requested to be given an hour to find out.

Fadeyi called back to confirm that no such official report had been made.

“It is possible that there was a robbery but if no official report was made, we won’t know,” he said.

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