EFCC Finds Hidden N15bn in Ikoyi-Lagos Home

Segun Atanda/

More than N15 billion was found in a house today in Ikoyi area of Lagos by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) acting on a tip off by yet another whistle blower.

Newsmakersng exclusively learnt that the house, belonging to an unnamed Abuja official, is on Osborne Road, Ikoyi, near the Lagos State deputy governor’s house.

EFCC agents who stormed the house early today said they had counted by the evening time $43.4million, N23.2million, and £27.8million. Newsmakersng was first to break the story.

The monies were found in a four-bedroom apartment on the 7th floor of a residential building at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi.

When contacted earlier in the day, the EFCC spokesman in Lagos, Mr Samin Amaddin confirmed the discovery.

He told Newsmakersng that the EFCC agents who went on the mission were yet to return to base as at 5pm.

The Federal Government recently spelled out the benefits awaiting whistle-blowers as it also pledged protection for them.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said any whistle-blower whose information leads to the recovery of up to N1billion would receive 5 per cent of the amount.

According to him, the reward for any amount between one and five billion naira would be 5 per cent for the first N1billion and 4 per cent of the remaining N4billion, and that any amount over N5 billion will attract 2.5 per cent reward.

Going by the computation, a whistle-blower that leads Nigeria to the recovery of cash or assets worth N5billion, would earn N210million.

Mohammed said, ”For example, if a whistle blower provides information leading to the recovery of N10 billion, he or she will receive five per cent of the first one billion naira, four per cent of the next four billion naira and 2.5 per cent of the remaining five billion naira.

”What we have done by making this information public is to reassure potential whistle-blowers that the plan to reward is real. We are not just saying we will pay all whistle-blowers, but we are letting them know in advance what they are entitled to, once the information they provide leads to the recovery of looted funds.”

Mohammed had also given the assurance that the government would protect the identity of all whistle-blowers, whether in the public or the private sector, and also ensure that the information they provide is kept secret.

The latest recovery came two days after EFCC agents recovered €547, 730 and £21, 090 as well as N5, 648, 500 from a Bureau de Change operator in Balogun market, in Lagos.

Last Thursday, the EFCC recovered N449, 000, 860 hidden in an abandoned shop in Lagos.

On today’s operation the commission said that the discovery followed an operation triggered by a whistle-blower’s alert received by its Lagos office in the morning.

The source allegedly noticed suspicious movement of bags in and out of a particular apartment in the building.

According to the source, the movers of the bags made it look like they were bringing in clothes.

The commission quoted another source, who is conversant with the apartment, as saying that a woman usually appeared on different occasions with huge bags known as ‘Ghana Must Go’.

The source said, “She comes looking haggard, with dirty clothes but her skin didn’t quite match her outward appearance, perhaps a disguise.

“On getting to the building, operatives met the entrance door locked.

“The guards at the gate told the operatives that nobody resides in the apartment, but some persons come in and out once in a while.

“In compliance with the magisterial order contained in the search warrant, the EFCC used minimum force to gain entrance into the apartment.”

According to the commission, monies were found in two of the four bedrooms in the apartment.

Further search by operatives into the wardrobe in one of the rooms revealed that it was warehousing three fire proof cabinets hidden behind its wooden panels.

An assessment of the content of the cabinets revealed neatly arranged US Dollars, Pound Sterlings and some Naira notes in sealed wrappers.

Preliminary findings, the EFCC said, indicated that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.

Here’s a video of EFCC agents counting the money recovered today:https://www.facebook.com/officialefcc/videos/1408320859190400/

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