JUST IN: SSS releases suspended Ogun LG boss

The State Security Service (SSS) has released the suspended chairman of Ijebu East Local Government of Ogun State.

The secret police took Mr Adedayo into custody on Friday after he honoured its invitation over an allegation that he made against Governor Dapo Abiodun.

In a letter to a former governor of the state, Segun Osoba, Mr Adedayo said Mr Abiodun was diverting federal allocations to local governments in the state. He repeated the allegations in petitions to two federal anti-corruption agencies.

However, less than 15 hours after human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana demanded his release, the SSS said it has set Mr Adedayo free.

“I will go to court”

Addressing journalists shortly after his release on Monday, Mr Adedayo vowed to seek legal redress over his detention.

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Asked what he was detained for, Mr Adedayo said: “They claimed there is a letter from the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, that I was making inciting comments against the state government. But I told them there was nothing like that, or who did they say I have incited? They said that I was planning protest but I said I don’t know anything about that and I told them that I had only done what my conscience said that I should and this I did with my other colleagues chairpersons despite the fact that they all ran back.

“My conscience is very clear in the letter I wrote to Chief Olusegun Osoba, the former governor of the state and a national leader of our party, APC.

“I will certainly go to court to challenge my illegal suspension because on the day of my suspension, over 100 police officers came to my local government, and I asked to do what. Maybe if I had shown my face on that day, I might not even be here in one piece”

When told that members of the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) said no money was lost, Mr Adedayo retorted:
“Let them tell that to the EFCC. I have sent my letters to them.

“Who is even JAAC? This concerns the local government chairmen, and if each of them claimed that they have been collecting the money meant to develop their council areas, they should be ready to account to the people.”

Falana intervention

Mr Falana, in a statement on Sunday, had advised Governor Abiodun to go to court if he felt the suspended council boss had libelled him.

“Even though the Ogun State Government has denied the allegation of funds diversion, Governor Abiodun is advised to sue Mr Wale Adedayo for libel in the Ogun State High Court. In similar circumstances, two of his predecessors, the late Governor Olabisi Onabanjo, had sued the National Concord newspaper for libel in the Ogun State High Court in 1981, while Governor Segun Osoba sued the Punch Newspaper for defamation of character in the Ogun State High Court in 2001. Both Governors won the libel suits.

“Having regard to the facts and circumstances of this particular case, I am compelled to request the Ogun State Command of the SSS to release Mr Adedayo from custody forthwith.”