Former National Chairman
of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Adamu Muazu is the alleged
owner of the Ikoyi, Lagos luxury apartment, where operatives of Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seized about $38m, N23m and
£27,000 (all cash) on Wednesday…..
Sources with knowledge
of the raid told THEWILL that the funds were seized after a
whistleblower leaked the existence of the stashed cash at the Ikoyi
luxury residential apartment complex located at 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi.
Political
pundits told THEWILL that Muazu, a former Governor of Bauchi State
(1998 – 2007, was beneficiary of huge sums of money from politicians and
aspirants, who wanted the PDP ticket ahead of the 2015 general
elections.
The EFCC is working on the premise that the monies
were mostly siphoned from government coffers by office holders including
state governors……
EFCC Statement following the development:
“EFCC Uncovers Another Massive Stash Of Monies In Ikoyi
The
whistle blowing policy of the Federal Government is paying off
positively as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today stormed
a residential building in the 7th Floor of a four – bedroom apartment
at Osborne Towers located at 16, Osborne road Ikoyi, Lagos, where a
humongous find of foreign currencies and Naira notes to the tune of
$43.4m, £27,800 and N23.2m was uncovered.
The operation followed a
whistle blower’s confidential alert received by the Commission’s Lagos
office this morning regarding some noticed suspicious movement of bags
in and out of a particular apartment in the building. According to the
source, the movers of the bags, make believe that they bring in bags of
clothes.
Another source who is conversant with the apartment of
interest indicated that some woman usually appeared on different
occassion with Ghana Must Go bags. “She comes looking haggard, with
dirty clothes but her skin didn’t quite match her outward appearance,
perhaps a disguise”, the source said.
On getting to the building,
operatives met the entrance door locked. Inquiries from the guards at
the gate explained 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 warrant, the EFCC used minimum force
to gain entrance into the apartment.
Monies were found in two of
the four bedroom apartment. Further probe of the wardrobe by operatives
in one of the rooms, was found to be warehousing three fire proof
cabinets disguisedly hidden behind wooden panels of the wardrobe. Upon
assessing the content of the cabinets, neatly arranged US Dollars, Pound
Sterling and some Naira notes in sealed wrappers.
Preliminary findings indicate that the funds are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
The facility is said to be owned by Osborne Towers Resident Association.
Investigations are ongoing.”
from thewillnigeria.com