A former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has confirmed THISDAY’s exclusive report on Tuesday that his apartment was one of the many searched by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following the discovery of N13.3 billion in a neighbouring apartment (Flat 7B) at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, by the commission last week.
In a follow-up to the information provided by the whistle blower who blew the lid on the cash found in Apartment 7B and further information that there was more cash stashed away in another apartment in the same luxury complex, the EFCC had obtained a warrant from the court to search all the flats in the building.
Accordingly, it notified all the occupants of the building that its operatives would search all the flats to ascertain the veracity of the information provided by the whistle blower who works in the complex.
By Monday, the commission had searched 21 of the apartments including those belonging to the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, who developed the sky-rise residential building.
A statement on Tuesday by Obi’s media aide, Mr. Val Obienyem, said the former governor has confirmed the search by the EFCC of Flat 1 occupied by him in the building.
Responding to enquiries from the press, Obienyem, who revealed that the ex-governor’s primary residence is in Onitsha, Anambra State, he added that the apartment rented by Obi’s wife, Margaret, is usually used by the former governor anytime he is in Lagos.
Obienyem, who cautioned mischief makers against linking Obi to the cash haul, made it clear that the entire occupants of the building were also searched.
“Even though Mr. and Mrs. Obi had travelled to the UK and U.S. for speaking engagements, when he was informed of the search, he quickly sent the keys to the 4-bedroom apartment to the EFCC via courier today (yesterday).
“He even left instructions that we should allow them to also search his Onitsha residence should there be need for that.
“After a thorough search, nothing was found in the apartment,” Obienyem said.
Obienyem revealed that during the search, one of the operatives of the EFCC was overheard expressing doubt if the apartment had anything to do with Obi, citing the fact that it was the simplest in terms of furnishing and reflective of his ascetic lifestyle.
A source also revealed, that Obi learnt of the search warrant obtained from the EFCC from his neighbour, Chairman/CEO of Zinox Technologies Limited, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, who has two children living in the apartment building.
One of his sons, Nnamdi, 24, who is a resident of Osborne Towers, is a budding entrepreneur and founder of the online shopping portal Yudala.
Ekeh reportedly called Obi at the weekend to inform him that the EFCC had searched his children’s flats and advised him to send his key from London so that his flat could be searched likewise.
Obi, we gathered, promptly asked his wife to send the key via courier to a family friend to let the EFCC operatives into his flat.
The Obis, it was gathered, neither keep maids nor housekeepers at the apartment and always lock it up when they are out of town.
(Thisday)
