2 people have made separate attempts to claim the $2.1m (about
N418million) cash seized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at
the Murtala Muhammed International Airport from the custody of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The NDLEA had on July 3 intercepted the cash which was being conveyed by a bureau de change operator, Mr. Ibiteye John Bamidele.
The anti-narcotics agency had suspected the bureau de change operator of laundering the money.
Following his confession that he was on money laundering errand
allegedly for a former Executive Secretary of the National Health
Insurance Scheme, Dr. Olufemi Thomas, the NDLEA had on July 8th handed
the suspect and the cash to the EFCC.
It has however, been revealed that 2 different people have showed up at the Lagos office of the EFCC to claim the cash.
It was learnt that one of the impostors, a man, who showed up to claim
ownership of the money, later confessed to EFCC operatives that he was
hired by some persons he didn’t name to retrieve the money from the
commission and he was arrested by the EFCC.
Another person,lady, this time was also said to have appeared at the
Lagos office of the EFCC, claiming that she was the one that gave
Bamidele the money.
The lady was said to have made repeated calls to the supposed owner of the money who failed to fulfil his promise that he would meet her at the EFCC office.
When she realised that her partner had failed her with the refusal to
appear at the commission. She was also said to have pleaded for mercy
when the operatives confronted her with facts from Bamidele.
A top officer of the EFCC, who spoke on condition of anonymity said :
“Another thing you must know about this drama is that the commission has foiled some attempts to retrieve the money.
“From the time the case was handed over to the commission on July 8, 2015 to date, two people have come forward to claim the money.
“A few days after the money was handed over to the EFCC, a man came to the office to claim the money but when he was grilled, he contradicted himself. In fact, he said he was hired by some persons to claim and retrieve the money from the commission.
“Apart from the man, another woman showed up the following day to claim that she was the one who gave Bamidele the money.
“According to her claim, the money was proceeds of an investment which was liquidated with a bank and was intended to be used to purchase a property for the construction of a cardiac centre.
“However, her claim fell through when operatives confronted her. The bureau de change operator who was caught with the money did not mention her name. Then she realised that she wasn’t going anywhere with her lies, she started pleading for mercy.”
Meanwhile, indications emerged on Saturday that Thomas had been granted
administrative bail on Friday by the EFCC after undergoing interrogation
in relation to the seized $2.1m.
The EFCC had invited the former NHIS boss, the prime suspect, for
interrogation on Friday and released him after hours of interrogation.
On Saturday the EFCC operatives, who grilled the ex-NHIS boss in
relation to the ownership of the controversial money, asked him to
report to the Lagos office of the commission for further investigation
whenever he is needed.
No date was fixed for the next session with the commission.
Another senior officer of the EFCC, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said
“The case involving the seized $2.1 million is still pending. The man was interrogated on Friday but released to go on what we call administrative bail.
“Since the case is a Lagos case, he is expected to be reporting to the commission’s office in Lagos whenever he is needed.”
Punch
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment