Drama as Wike, NIA Fight Over Ownership Of N13bn Seized By EFCC

It is a battle going on right now between
the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike
and the DG of National Intelligence Agency
over the ownership of the recovered N13
billion hidden in a building in Ikoyi.
NIA DG, Ayodele Oke and Governor Nyesom Wike
of Rivers State
The controversy surrounding the
ownership of the N13bn ($43.4m, N23m
and £27,000) found by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission at the
Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, took a
dramatic turn on Friday evening when
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and
the National Intelligence Agency claimed
ownership of the money.
The National Intelligence Agency on Friday
said the money belonged to it.
A national daily had earlier reported that
the money belonged to the NIA. Sources at
the agency confirmed to one our
correspondents late Friday that the money
belonged to the agency and that it had
written a formal letter to President
Muhammadu Buhari to claim ownership of
the money.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the NIA, which
is Nigeria’s foreign intelligence service,
explained that the money, which was found
on the seventh floor of the building, was
approved by former President Goodluck
Jonathan for covert operations and security
projects covering a period of years.
The money was said to have been released
in bits during the tenure of a former NIA
director-general. A source said that the
cash was approved before the advent of
the Treasury Single Account.
He stated that the Director-General of the
NIA, Amb. Ayo Oke; the EFCC Chairman,
Mr. Ibrahim Magu; and the National
Security Adviser, Babagana Moguno, had
met over the issue. A Presidency source
also confirmed the meeting to one of our
correspondents.
The NIA source explained that when EFCC
operatives stormed the Ikoyi property on
Wednesday, they were informed that the
said apartment was a safe house of the NIA
from which discreet operations were
carried out.
The EFCC boss, however, rejected all
entreaties from the NIA and entered the
building, breaking the fireproof safes and
taking the money.
The source, who wished to remain
anonymous because he was not authorised
to speak with the media, said, “The money
belongs to the NIA. It is for covert operations and
security projects covering a period of years.The DG
has met with the President, he has explained
everything to him. The President asked him to put
everything into writing and he has done so.
“The entire chain of events was a big
misunderstanding. That place was an NIA safe
house and you have to understand that the NIA
carries out discreet investigation in conjunction
with many agencies across the world.
“On the day the EFCC men gathered around the
house, the NIA reached out to Magu to explain to
him that the money was the property of the
Federal Government and the place was an NIA safe
house. Unfortunately, the EFCC still went ahead to
break down the doors.”
But Wike, who described the claim that the
cash belonged to the NIA as balderdash,
alleged that the immediate past governor of
the state and the current Minister of
Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, kept
the money in the apartment.
As such, the Rivers State governor gave the
Federal Government a seven-day
ultimatum to return the money to the state
government or be ready to face legal
action.
Speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt
on Friday night, Wike said the $43m was
part of the proceeds from the sale of a gas
turbine by the immediate past
administration, adding that the gas turbine
was initially built by the Peter Odili
administration.
The governor further challenged the
Federal Government to set up a
commission of inquiry to probe the source
of the huge money found in the flat,
insisting that the funds belonged to Rivers
people and should be returned to the
owners within seven days.
He said, “All these things they are saying that
the $43m belong to the Nigerian Intelligence
Agency is balderdash. When did the NIA begin to
keep money in houses? As I speak to you now, the
Federal Government is so embarrassed.
“I want the President to set up a commission of
inquiry. We don’t want to fight anybody; they
should set up a commission of inquiry or return
our money within seven days. If they don’t, we will
take all necessary legal actions and NIA will come
and prove where they got the money from.
“The $43m is the proceeds of the sale of the gas
turbine sold by the immediate past administration.
The gas turbine was built by the (Peter) Odili
administration. It (gas turbine) was sold to Sahara
Energy.
“The turbine was sold for $319m. But as of May
2015, what was in the account was $204,000. We
will avail ourselves and we will be present at the
commission of inquiry expected to be set up by the
Federal Government. If we are invited, we will
come. There is no contradiction in this at all, but I
know they (FG) will not agree.”
Wike maintained that he would complete
the monorail project if the Federal
Government returned the $43m to Rivers
State, adding that it would be “projects
galore” in the state should the money be
returned back to its original owner.
“Part of the money from the sale of the gas
turbine was used to fund the All Progressives
Congress campaign. We are telling the world that
the money belongs to us. If they (FG) give us the
money, I will complete the monorail project,” he
said.
When contacted, the media aide to Mr.
Rotimi Amaechi, Mr. David Iyofor, said he
would react to Wike’s claim on Saturday
(today).
The money has since been deposited into
the account of the Central Bank of Nigeria
following an interim forfeiture order
granted by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The court had also ruled that if the owner
of the money did not show up within 30
days, it would be forfeited to the federal
Government permanently.
EFCC keeps mum
All attempts to speak with the spokesperson
for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on
Friday proved abortive as his phone
indicated that it was switched off while a
text message sent to his phone was not
responded to.
It’s a security issue –Presidency
When contacted, the Special Adviser to the
President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi
Adesina, directed our correspondent to the
security agencies said to have been
involved in the matter.
“This is not a matter for the Presidency. It is a
security issue and I will advise you to get across to
the agencies mentioned,” he said on the
telephone.
SERAP, CD, others hit EFCC for hiding owners’
identities
But socio-political groups, including the
Socio-Economic Right Accountability
Project and the Campaign for Democracy,
criticised the EFCC for hiding the identities
of the owners of the recently recovered
funds in Lagos and Kaduna.
SERAP and the CD, in separate interviews
with Saturday PUNCH, said that it was anti-
democratic for the EFCC to shield the
identities of the owners of recovered
money.
The SERAP Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni,
said, “Whatever information that the EFCC has
about any money abandoned or found in any place
deserves to be released to the public. In a
democracy, there can’t be opaqueness. This issue
affects public interest and it is against the
collective interest if the EFCC withholds the
identities.
“The EFCC’s action will be contrary to public
policy and anti-democratic if the information is not
released. What will happen if the EFCC is not open
is that it will give room for rumours, which is not
good for democracy.”
In his own remarks, the CD President,
Usman Abdul, said, “The EFCC of recent has
just been playing to the gallery. The APC-led
Federal Government should not take citizens for a
ride. After the denial of the confirmation of the
EFCC Chair, Magu, we have had several seizures in
Kaduna and Lagos states, without anybody having
being identified as the custodians of these monies.
“It is quite laughable that new notes of money,
even hard to get in banks, were found and the
EFCC cannot disclose who committed such acts.”
On his part, the National Publicity
Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin,
said that it was unfortunate that Magu’s
EFCC out of desperation had thrown
caution to the wind in the desperate
attempt to be in the news and excite the
public.
He stated, “You found such volume of cash
without any attempt to find the owners and you
start a cinema of exhibit. A sergeant IPO who does
that should be fired without benefits.
“You cannot tell me that you cannot trace the title
of a property in Ikoyi at Alausa in a matter of
hours .But it seems Magu is all about anti-
corruption and seduction.
“If Magu fails to disclose the owners of the money,
it means that the anti-corruption war has become
a ‘night of a thousand laughs.’”
Also, the Executive Secretary, Anti-
Corruption Network, Ebenezer Oyetakin,
said, “The fight against corruption must be total,
unambiguous, true in character and content,
transparent in outlook and must not be cloudy in
presentation to the public.”
He said that the shielding of the identity of
the looters in itself was corruption and
detrimental to the success of the fight
against graft.
Oyetakin stated, “The fact that this is fuelling
speculations that those involved are government
officials of the present regime is too bad for the
image of the government that is fighting
corruption.
“This is why I must vehemently call on the EFCC to
do the needful by releasing the names of the
looters. The more reason why the names should be
made known is to serve deterrence against such
practices.
“However, I am more concerned that arresting and
making this type of discovery once in a month is
not the only way to fight corruption or regained
the loots, otherwise fifty years will not be enough
to regain looted funds.”
He called for the re-denomination of the
naira, adding that owners of looted funds
could come out and change their money.
A former chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party, Adamu Mu’azu was
reported to have said that he knew nothing
about funds recovered at a property
reported to be his in Ikoyi, Lagos.
An online newspaper, The Cable, reported
that Mu’azu, who was the Governor of
Bauchi State from 1999 to 2007, said he got
a bank loan to acquire the land where the
house was built, adding that he sold the
house to pay back the loan.
Another online newspaper, Sahara
Reporters, reported that the Minister of
Transportation, Amaechi, said he had no
connection whatsoever with the apartment
or the money.
He was reported to have said that he did
not own any apartment or house in Lagos,
stating that his only property in Nigeria
was in Abuja.
Source: Punch Nigeria
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