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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