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.”