Date: 2016-10-14

A member of Kwara State House of Assembly, Saheed Popoola, has been interrogated by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over allegations of N13.5 million hajj operations funds fraud.

The lawmaker, who represents Balogun/Ojomu state constituency of Offa Local Government, was the Chairman of the local government in 2012, when the fraud allegation was levelled against him. The lawmaker, who had been a guest of EFCC in Lagos since Monday, was allegedly arrested because the N10 million cheque he allegedly issued as instalment payment to defray the fraud was not honoured. Contacted, Popoola said:

"Somebody wrote a petition against me over the spending of hajj fund when I was chairman of Offa Local Government, and they invited me through the House of Assembly. "I went there and told the EFCC what I know about the issue and I was asked to leave. I was not detained."

The lawmaker, who said the money involved was N13.5 million and not N120 million as widely claimed, also said that it was not true that he issued a bounced cheque of N10 million.