A source close to the Assembly confirmed their arrest to SaharaReporters in Ibadan on Sunday but refused to give the names of the lawmakers arrested.
The Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Thursday drilled the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin and some other leaders of the House over alleged N1.03 billion purchase of refurbished vehicles for members of the House.
SaharaReporters learnt that the lawmakers who were involved in the purchase were arrested around 8 am on Thursday and released around 7 pm the same day.
Our correspondent reports that after the purchase of the vehicles which residents of the state described as refurbished, some vehicles were seen breaking down by the roadside.
A source close to the Assembly confirmed their arrest to SaharaReporters in Ibadan on Sunday but refused to give the names of the lawmakers arrested.
He said he knew the Speaker of the House, Ogundoyin was fully involved in the purchase of the vehicles, adding that the supplier of the vehicles was his close associate.
SaharaReporters recalled that a former prosecutor with the Special Presidential Panel on Recovery of Public Property, Tosin Ojaomo, had in January this year petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of a scam in the purchase of about N1.03 billion worth of official cars for members of the Oyo State House of Assembly.
According to the petition dated December 7, 2020, the contract, which was executed by a firm (name withheld), was for the procurement of 33 Toyota Camry cars for the House members and the Clerk at N759 million as well as two Toyota Hilux pick-up vans for the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, at N40m.
According to the petition, two Toyota Prado Land Cruiser SUVs valued at N106 million were also purchased for the Deputy Speaker, Abiodun Fadeyi and as Ogundoyin’s back-up vehicles, the petition stated.
Ojaomo, in his petition, alleged that the contract was for the supply of new 2019 vehicle models but noted that refurbished models with cleaned-up mileage were supplied instead.
The lawyer claimed that the contract was fraudulently arranged to favour the contractor instead of Elizade Motors and Mandilas Motors which also tendered quotations.
He added that the alleged scam was discovered when some of the 33 cars supplied by the contractor started having mechanical and electrical problems a few days after delivery to the lawmakers.
Ojaomo, therefore, in the petition asked the EFCC to recover the full contract sum from the firm.
The petition read in part, “My petition stemmed from recent findings that the sum of N1,031,380,000 earmarked by the Oyo State Assembly for the purchase of vehicles for honourable members of the house was diverted by the Speaker and Deputy Speaker with the connivance of a company contracted to handle the purchase and supply of cars to the House members.
“The contract was awarded for the supply of brand new Toyota Camry 2019 models but instead of supplying new cars, he went ahead to supply refurbished vehicles and clean up the mileage in order to make them look like new ones.”
Meanwhile, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Kazeem Olayanju, described the allegations as false.