Anti -fraud arrests Ondo perm sec over alleged fraud

Olipede was arrested over allegations of fraud following a petition written against him by a yet to be identified persons in the state. The police was said to have stormed his office with a warrant of arrest after their investigations revealed that he allegedly engaged in some fraudulent deals with state fund and resources. His arrest was said to have led to a mild drama over the weekend as he tried to resist being whisked away and engaged the police in a war of words. He was formally a director in Owo Local Government Area before his promotion as Permanent Secretary in the employ of the Ondo State Government. A source said Mr. Olipede had also been a regular guest at the office of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over allegations of misappropriating the sum of N60 million SURE-P funds while he was a director in Owo. The source that hinted on the latest arrest of Mr. Olipede said that his case might also likely be connected to series of fraud discovered before his promotion. “Trouble, however, started when the Permanent Secretary resisted arrest and threatened the operatives that he would call Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to call top police hierarchy who would in turn order their arrest. “He threatened to mobilise mob action against the operatives if they refused to leave his office despite showing him a warrant of arrest by the senior officer that led the team of the operatives. “His utterances and scanty respect for the anti graft agency, however, provoked the operatives who vowed to effect his arrest and whisky him away to their office in Lagos. “Some top government functionaries within the office complex, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Gbenga Ale and Chief Security Officer to the Governor, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo all bailed him out from being whisked away on Thursday. “They all pleaded with the operatives and stood for him with a promise to produce him on Friday and in the process they all agreed to meet at the headquarters of the police in Akure next morning. “The following morning, the case took a new dimension and after he (Olipede) reported to the police, they interrogated him for some minutes. “Later, they moved the unsuspecting Permanent Secretary into their vehicle and whisked him away to the agency’s office in Lagos” the source added. Gbenga Elewuju, Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet office was also said to have made frantic effort in ensuring Olipede was not arrested by the stern looking security operatives. A staff in the office of Mr. Olipede also confirmed his arrest to the our reporter but however refused to more give detail over the issue, as he was not in the position to talk with the press. “I cannot talk over this issue please. Try and contact someone else for comment” he said. The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Mr. Femi Joseph, did not pick his call when contacted for comment as at the time of filling this report.]]>