Festus Keyamo denies using stolen funds to acquire his US house.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment in Nigeria, Festus Keyamo, has addressed the

controversy surrounding a property he acquired in the United States of America. The Minister had been trending on social media platforms in Nigeria, with some accusing him of acquiring the property with stolen funds.

 

In response to the allegations, Keyamo took to his verified Twitter handle to clarify that he did not acquire the house with stolen funds. He confirmed that the property belonged to him, and he had acquired it with money he made from his legal practice.

 

Keyamo explained that he had written to relevant government agencies on March 6, 2019, informing them of the closure of his foreign account(s) and the repatriation of the funds to the country. He stated that the foreign funds were lying in his accounts until he was appointed Minister in 2019. In 2021, he wrote to the relevant agencies, informing them of the movement of those funds out of the country to purchase the property as a better investment decision.

 

The Minister said that he had been trying to bait his critics, whom he referred to as sore losers at the last elections, with a video of his vacation in “one of my properties abroad” amid a light workout. He laughed at how they had fallen for the bait and seemed to view everyone from their depraved universe, assuming everyone would wallow in the same moral squalor as them.

 

Keyamo stated that the building was the cheapest of his several properties, and it was laughable that some people thought he could not afford such a property after his 30 years of active, high-profile practice of law. He added that his flourishing and manned law chambers and his real estate investments were still far more financially profitable than serving Nigeria.

 

The Minister explained that he had been underrated because he chose to live a simple and modest life and was not given to the ostentatious display of wealth. He also made it clear that he did not need government funds or patronage to get by, and his labor of love for his country was not financially driven.

 

In summary, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has provided clarification on the controversy surrounding a property he acquired in the United States of America. He confirmed that the property belonged to him and was acquired with money he made from his legal practice. Keyamo explained the process he followed in repatriating the funds and acquiring the property and laughed off the allegations of acquiring the property with stolen funds. He stated that he had been underrated and chose to live a simple and modest life, not given to the ostentatious display of wealth.