Two persons 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 8 handed over the suspect and the
cash to the EFCC.
Investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday reveal that two different persons have showed up at the Lagos office of the EFCC to claim the cash.
Our correspondent 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.
His claim was said to have been punctured by the EFCC team and he was subsequently arrested.
Similarly, a lady 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 especially when the operatives confronted
her with facts from Bamidele.
A top officer of the EFCC, who spoke on condition of anonymity to SUNDAY PUNCH, 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.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered on
Saturday that 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 to our correspondent 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.”
Prior to Thomas’ interrogation, the EFCC
had given the indication that it could declare him wanted after weeks of
searching for him.
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