•Obasanjo and Fayose
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), calling for a thorough probe into an alleged money laundering transaction involving former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In the petition signed by HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the group referenced a November 25, 2025 report in which Fayose admitted giving Obasanjo $20,000 in cash as logistics for attending his 65th birthday celebration in Lagos, reports Daily Independent.
Obasanjo also publicly confirmed returning the money in cash.
HEDA argued that the cash exchange violates the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which caps individual cash transactions at N5 million and requires larger payments to be routed through financial institutions.
The organisation stressed that Section 19 of the Act prescribes penalties for such breaches.
According to Suraju, the statements made by both men amount to clear admissions of a prohibited financial transaction conducted far above the legal cash threshold.
He urged the EFCC to urgently investigate and prosecute the matter to reinforce the integrity of Nigeria’s anti-money-laundering framework.
The group warned that ignoring the incident would weaken ongoing efforts to curb money laundering and reduce the dollarisation of the economy, citing the recent conviction of Mr Precious Uzondu for foreign-currency transactions as proof of the EFCC’s renewed enforcement drive.
HEDA reaffirmed its commitment to accountability and urged the Commission to treat the case with utmost seriousness.
