Acting on a tip-off, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday found $43.4 million (about N13.237 billion), N23 million and £27,000 cash at House 16, Osborne Road in Ikoyi, Lagos Island.
The anti-graft agency suspected that the cash might have been proceeds of crime kept at the residence to prevent any bank alert.
But the identity of the owner of the cash was kept under wraps pending the conclusion of investigations.
It was, however, suspected that the cash might have been laundered by politically-exposed persons and former political office holders through fronts.
A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We acted on intelligence report that huge cash in an apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.
“A whistle blower who had insider knowledge of how the funds were kept in some locked up rooms in the house alerted the EFCC.
“As at the last count, we have recovered about $43.4 million (N13.237 billion at N305 per dollar) N23 million and £27,000. The figures could be higher than what we have counted.
“But we engaged the Central Bank of Nigeria to mobilise counting machines to assist in determining the total haul. Certainly, we are acting on some clues on how the money came about. We have a lot of intelligence we are analysing.”
A source within the EFCC said: “This is a major breakthrough for this commission. We will not relent in recovering slush funds.
“The whistle blowing policy has added value to the anti- graft war. Some of those who looted public funds have been avoiding banks. They kept the cash at home and we are on their trail. Imagine what over N11 billion can do in the life of this nation, while the amount traced to private accounts sums up to N4 billion.
About N16 billion has been uncovered by the EFCC in the last few days in Lagos, including the N12,360,814,000 recovered and about N4 billion traced to private accounts.
The Federal Government had on December 22 last year, launched a whistle blowing policy to expose fraud and other related crimes in the public and the private sectors.
The EFCC is on the trail of a woman who is said to have been bringing in the money in “Ghana-must-go” sacks.
(The Nation)
