Seized N13bn cash: EFCC searches ex-gov Obi, Mu’azu, others’ Ikoyi flats

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, searched the apartments of the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; and a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, as part of investigations into the  $43.4m, £27,000 and N23m (N13bn) found at a flat in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, last week.
Other prominent persons, living in the building, include a former Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (Retail), Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue; and media mogul and founder of Ebony Life Television, Mo Abudu.

that there might be more money concealed in other flats including three unoccupied apartments.

The media aide to ex-Governor Obi, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that all the apartments in the building were searched by the commission.

He, however, maintained that the apartment was a rented one as Obi’s home is in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Obienyem warned mischief makers against seeking fault in Obi, adding that the entire tenants in the building were also searched.

He said although the former governor was not at home when the EFCC carried out the search, he sent the key to the flat to the EFCC and nothing incriminating was found in the apartment.

The statement read in part, “The media aide to former Governor Mr. Peter Obi has confirmed the search by the EFCC of Flat 1, occupied by the former governor in the building where the agency discovered large sums of money.

“The apartment was rented by the wife of the former governor and it is where Mr. Obi usually stays anytime he is in Lagos.

“Even though Mr. and Mrs Obi had travelled to the USA and the UK for speaking engagements, when we relayed the message of the search to him, he quickly sent the keys to the four-bedroom apartment to the EFCC via courier.

“He even left instructions that we should allow them to also search his Onitsha residence should there be a need for that. After the thorough search, nothing was found in the apartment.”

When contacted on Tuesday, Mo Abudu said she would not comment on any issue relating to the towers, adding that she had already put a statement on her Instagram page.

She said, “Hello. I am not interested in talking to the media about this. I’m in a meeting right now and I am not interested in talking about anything at all. Okay? So, I am going to drop my telephone now.

“I know what it is you want to talk about and I am not interested. I’m busy. There is nothing I’m going to talk about. Whatever it is you want to write, write it and if anybody writes anything that is not, I am going to sue that person.

“I have already put out a statement. Have you not been checking the internet? I am looking for the person that will let me make him a scapegoat.

“Go to my Instagram and you will see it. You will see my statement there. Thank you. Have a good night. Bye.”

Abudu had said through her lawyers, Streamsowers and Kohn, on their twitter handle that the apartment was not a gift from any government official.

The lawyers added that the apartment was bought by Abudu in the open market and for a fair value, stating that the allegations were baseless.

It was learnt on Tuesday that the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, was the one handling the investigations into the controversial N13bn seized by the EFCC and not the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

“The NSA, Babagana Monguno, is the one investigating and not the AGF. By the time he finishes his job, the Presidency may then officially address the issue,

Seized $43m not mine, says ex-NNPC MD

A former Managing Director of one of the subsidiaries of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, has denied social media reports linking her to the $43.4m, N23m and £27,000 recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.Nnamdi-Ogbue, who was MD, NNPC Retail section as well as the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, said this in a statement by her lawyer, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), on Thursday.The EFCC had on Wednesday recovered the cash on the 7th floor of Osborne Towers located at 16, Osborne road Ikoyi. However, the commission did not disclose details regarding who owned the money.It was learnt that some online news outlets assumed the ex-NNPC bossowned the money because she lives on the second floor of the same building.However, Nnamdi-Ogbue maintained that she knew nothing about the money and urged members of the public to disregard the false news.While saluting the EFCC for the remarkable recovery, Nnamdi-Ogbue urged members of the public not to jump to conclusions but wait for the EFCC to investigate the matter and issue its report.The statement read in part, “The attention of our Client, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue has been drawn to the news making round in the news media to the effect that the large sums of money to wit: $43.4m and £27,000 uncovered by the EFCC from an apartment in Osborne Towers, Osborne Road, Ikoyi Lagos,Lagos State belong to her.“By this Press Release, we inform the public (especially the news media) that the said sums of money and/or the apartment where the sums of money were found do not belong to our client. Our client is as shocked as many other Nigerians at the uncovering and recovery of the said sums of moneyand wishes to salute the courage and efforts of the EFCC in the war against corruption.“She also wishes to commend the whistle-blower policy introduced by the Federal Government in the fight against corruption which policy has resulted in large scale uncovering and recovery of monies and assets.“It is our client’s belief that the source and ownership of the said uncovered sums of money is known or eventually will be known by the EFCC in due course. There is,therefore, no need for conjecture orspeculation.“May we finally implore the news media to be more circumspect in their publications.”

Why I won’t react to Melaye’s allegation – Kogi gov

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has said  he  will not react to  Senator Dino Melaye’s allegation that he planned to kill him.

The  governor,  who spoke  through his Director-General on Media and Publicity, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo,  on Tuesday,  said  Melaye’s accusation didn’t come as a surprise to him

Bello said, “If he accused me of complacency in the so-called assassination attempt, those who have been following the trend from the day his group promised to make Kogi ungovernable will not be surprised.

“The case is under investigation by the police and making serious statements about it may be seen to be subjudice. We have been  witnessing imaginary attacks in the state and when I travelled to Kogi East, his antagonists also alleged that  I was attacked even when the opposite was the case.

“As a government, we believe the police are  capable of getting to the root of the allegation and do justice to it once and for all.”

The governor added, “You  need to ask  Melaye if he reported the incident to the governor who is the Chief Security Officer of the state. If you didn’t tell him anything, he too will have nothing to say.

“The reports of the security agencies will surely untie the riddles surrounding the allegations.

“Security should never be politicised in our state.

“We are waiting for the report of the investigation after which we will be properly guided to make informed comments.”

Meanwhile, Melaye has expressed  shock over the  attempt on his life late on April 14 in his residence in Aiyetoro-Gbede, Kogi West Senatorial District.

He promised not  to relent in his fight against corruption, maladministration, impunity and nepotism.

The lawmaker, “No amount of threat, blackmail, name-callng  and/or harassment will stop me from being the voice of the voiceless and the mouthpiece of the common man.”

He  said four  days after the attempt on his life the governor neither called nor visited him  to know the state of affairs with him.

EFCC recovers $43m, £27,000, N23m during house raid

The Economic and Financial CrimesCommission on Wednesday raided a house in Ikoyi, Lagos recovering about $43m, N23m and £27,000 in cash.

The total cash when converted using the current  rate of the Central Bank of Nigeria amounts to N11,661,314,000.It was learnt that the recovery was made at a service apartment located at Osborne Towers.

The identity of the owner of the funds had yet to be ascertained as of press time but the recovery was made due to information from a whistle-blower.In line with the whistleblower policy of the Federal Government, the whistleblower is expected to receive nothing less than N500m asa reward.

A source at the EFCC said, “We received a tip-off from a whistleblower regarding the existence of a huge sum of cash in an apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi. We were overwhelmed to seesuch a huge sum of money.“We had to quickly notify officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria to come with counting machines. We have been counting the money all day and everything will be transferred to the CBN this night because we don’t have a vault that can store such a huge sum of money.“I can tell you that the whistleblower policy is one of the best things the Federal Government has ever done to help the fight against corruption.”As of 8:51pm on Wednesday, the money was still being counted. Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the total cash recovery made by the EFCC in Lagos alone in the last five days sums up to N12,360,814,000 while the amount traced to private accounts sums up to N4bn.
In essence, the EFCC had made a recovery of about N16bn in the last five days due to the assistance of whistleblowers. On Friday last week, the EFCC uncovered N448,850,000 in a shop at LEGICO Shopping Plaza, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos. The money stashed in several ‘Ghana Must Go’ bags were in N500and N1000 denominations, hidden in a shop awaiting conversion into foreign currency.

On Monday, the commission again recovered €547,730 and £21,090 as well as N5,648,500 from a Bureau de Change operator in Balogun Market, Lagos. The figure sums up to N250,558,670 when converted to naira, according to theEFCC. Sources at the anti-graft agency told our correspondent that due to the existence of the Bank Verification Number and other anti-corruption mechanisms put in place by the CBN and other anti-graft agencies, it had become difficult for politically exposed persons to deposit money in their private accounts. Detectives at the commission told our correspondent that many more recoveries are expected to be made in the coming days as long aswhistleblowers are protected.