SaharaReporters had reported that Oyebanjo filed a petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ogunlewe and several council supervisors of misappropriating billions of naira.

The Chairman, Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Barrister Moyosore Ogunlewe, has formally responded to the allegations of corruption and criminal breach by Ganiyu Oyebanjo, his former aide, saying he is open to investigations and he will be vindicated. 

Ogunlewe in a release on Friday sent to SaharaReporters noted that Oyebanjo's arrest  by the police was a "result of the discovery of classified documents (belonging to the council) in his (Oyebanjo's) residence, following a search warrant issued by a competent authority, and not due to claims of being a whistleblower." 

In the statement signed by Oluwole Obisanya, the chairman's Chief Press Secretary, Moyosore noted that his administration was "open to any official investigation by relevant government agencies and we are confident that our actions will be vindicated." 

SaharaReporters had reported that Oyebanjo filed a petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ogunlewe and several council supervisors of misappropriating billions of naira.

Following the petition, the council chairman and other officials were summoned and interrogated for hours at the ICPC office on 10 Okotie Eboh Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Before his arrest, Oyebanjo had told SaharaReporters that the officials were implicated in corruption, embezzlement, and inflating contracts worth billions of naira.

But reacting on Friday, the office of the chairman, Moyosore said, "We categorically deny the unsubstantiated accusations made by Oyebanjo, which are deemed to be false, malicious, defamatory and targeted at denying Barrister Moyosore Ogunlewe a second term in office. 

"The administration of Barrister Moyosore Ogunlewe has consistently maintained the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and probity in governance, with all financial transactions following due process and supported by documentary evidence.

"We take great exception to these baseless allegations, which are clearly designed to impugn the integrity of our administration and undermine the confidence of the public. It is pertinent to note that Oyebanjo's allegations appear to be driven by his personal grievances and disappointment following his loss in the 2021 primaries.

"Furthermore, Oyebanjo has pending cases of signature forgery (of his colleagues), stealing of classified documents, and threatening the Council Chairman after his demand for an SUV, rather than the official Toyota Corolla designated for all supervisors, was rebuffed. 

"Oyebanjo's arrest was a result of the discovery of classified documents (belonging to the council) in his residence, following a search warrant issued by a competent authority, and not due to his claims of being a whistleblower. These actions are a clear indication of Oyebanjo's desperation to tarnish the reputation of Barrister Moyosore Ogunlewe's administration and undermine the confidence of the public.

"We are confident that the relevant authorities will take appropriate action to address these serious infractions. 

"We are open to any official investigation by relevant government agencies and we are confident that our actions will be vindicated. We assure the public that our administration will continue to operate with the highest level of transparency and accountability, and that we will not be swayed by these malicious allegations." 

SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that Chief Magistrate Olanrewaju Olatunji deliberately refused to sign Oyebanjo’s bail documents, resulting in his continued detention in prison.

According to another source, the magistrate finally signed the document on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, while alleging that SaharaReporters had engaged in blackmail against him.

“He finally signed it after 12 days; he claimed that the news story from SaharaReporters and a blog had been shared on their magistrate WhatsApp group, which was embarrassing,” the source had said.