A classified US document obtained by SaharaReporters has revealed that the American government in February 2009 banned Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State from getting a visa to enter the US. It is unclear whether the ban remains in force.

Mr. Fayose’s wife, Feyisetan Helen Olayemi Fayose, whose date of birth was given as January 8, 1964, was also targeted for the visa ban. The document showed that the US Embassy recommended the cancellation of her existing visa, which was supposed to be valid until February 2010.

Other members of the governor’s family recommended for the 2009 visa ban included his first son, Oluwajomiloju John Fayose, born on February 18, 1992. His B2 visa was recommended for cancellation even though it was supposed to be valid until July 27, 2010. Also covered by the 2009 visa prohibition recommendation were Mr. Fayose’s two others sons, Ayorogbayimika Mine Fayose, born August 1, 1995, and Chukwuemeka Boluwatife Fayose, born November 5, 1997. Both were to have their existing visas rescinded, even though the visas were supposed to be current till July 27, 2010.

An interagency committee at the US Mission in Nigeria decided to target Mr. Fayose for visa ineligibility by asking President Barack Obama to invoke Presidential Proclamation 7750 (PP7750), after Mr. Fayose's impeachment in 2006.

The classified document indicated that Mr. Fayose had stolen as much as $81 million from the coffers of Ekiti State during his inaugural tenure as governor.

Helen Fayose
Sahara Reporters Media
Apart from the main allegation of corrupt enrichment, in which Mr. Fayose was accused of using several companies to steal from Ekiti State, he was also portrayed as having “provided stipends to people to attend his rallies and paid journalists to write favorable stories.”

In excluding Mr. Fayose from entry into the US, the US Embassy also remarked that the governor was involved in the “triggering of events,” citing him for using political violence to corrupt elections.

The classified document provided a list of persons murdered by associates of Mr. Fayose. The murder victims include Tunde Omojola and Ayo Daramola, both of them murdered by well-known aides or associates of Mr. Fayose. Mr. Fayose was also suspected of involvement in the attempted assassinations of Taiwo Fasuba, then chairman of Ado-Ekiti local government area, and Afe Babalola, a prominent lawyer who hails from Ekiti State.

In a text message to SaharaReporters, Mr. Fayose suggested that the visa restrictions had been lifted or that his immediate family members were never barred from entering the US after all. “My family (wife and son) was in the US last summer,” the governor stated in the text. His text further stated, “I have only been to the US only twice in my life. During my trial by EFCC between 2007 and 2014, in 2009 the court [asked] that my passport be deposited with the court. I approached the American Embassy for renewal [and they] said I can come back after the trial. I have since won my case at the Ado Ekiti Federal High Court in 2014, which discharged and acquitted me. I have not approached the US Embassy since then.”

Mr. Fayose added he was not aware of any continuing visa ban targeting him even though he admitted to our reporter that when he approached the US Consulate in February 2009, he was told to go and conclude his corruption trial. He stated that he had not applied to the US Consulate for travel ever since he controversially became governor again in a highly tainted election in 2014.

SaharaReporters learned that Mr. Fayose went into hiding for several months after he was impeached as governor of Ekiti State. He then approached the US Consulate on February 13, 2009, seeking a visa to visit the US for an “urgent medical issue,” but his application was denied.

Read more: http://saharareporters.com/2016/04/09/governor-fayose-was-banned-entering-us-over-corruption-political-violence

Ok

Fayose, family members not barred from traveling to US, children's US visa valid till 2017 - Aide

My attention has been drawn to the latest mischief from one of the All Progressives Congress (APC) propaganda organs, Sahara Reporters that the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose and his immediate family members were barred from traveling to the United States of America (USA) and I wish to state that this is another lie from the pit of hell.

Even though I am not unmindful of the fact that Sahara Reporters and its Jankara brand of journalism should not attract the attention of sane minds, I feel oblige to set the records straight.

Governor Fayose has travelled to the US only twice in his life and since he became governor, he has not had any reason to apply for US visa since he became governor in 2014, not to talk of being restricted from traveling to the country.

It is on record that during the governor's trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the court ordered that his international passport be deposited with the court. When the passport was released to him in 2009, he applied to the US embassy for the renewal of his visa and the embassy denied him of the renewal on the premise that he was still under trial.

Governor Fayose won the EFCC case in 2014 and not only that he was discharged and acquitted, N10 million cost was awarded against the EFCC.

The records in FRN Vs Mr. Ayodele Fayose, Charge. No. FHC,. L.. 179c, 2006 and the ruling discharging and acquiting the governor delivered on October 30, 2014 by Hon. Justice Adamu Hobon are there for anyone to see.

Contrary to the lies from Sahara Reporters the governor's sons still have USA visa valid till March 2017 while that of his wife will expire this year. His wife and children travel to the USA regularly and they were in the USA during the last summer. Records of their trips to the US are there for anyone to verify.

It is shameful that Sahara Reporters can elevate its 'Boolekaja journalism' to the ridiculous level of dropping the name of the US President Barack Obama with the governor's application for visa renewal of 2009 (seven years ago).

It is even more shameful that Sahara Reporters opted to be silent over the fact that the election won by Governor Fayose was applauded by the US and the immediate past US ambassador to Nigeria visited the governor before and after he was elected.

This latest effort of Sahara Reporters is diversionary and just a ploy to get at the governor because of his criticism of the President Mohammadu Buhari led APC government, but the governor is undeterred.

It is another of their cheap blackmail to divert the attention of Nigerians from the APC led government's inability to deliver on their electoral promises.

It should be noted that the Jankara propaganda medium did more than this before the 2014 election and its sponsors lost woefully. It has also been lying against the governor consistently, going to the ridiculous level of lying that the governor's son was arrested in Dubai.

Invasion of Ekiti State by the armed men of the Department of State Services (DSS) failed, police invasion also failed, this renewed effort at maligning Governor Fayose by Sahara Reporters, the APC's agent of falsehood is definitely dead on arrival.