The Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is considering pushing for the seizure
of apartment 7B at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, where it seized the
$43million
cash.
That will be
in addition to its Friday application to the Federal High Court in Lagos for
the final forfeiture of the money to the Federation account.
Officially, no
one has come forward to claim the $43,449,947 (about N13 billion), N23, 218,000
and £27,800 (about N10.6milion) cash found in the apartment.
Already,
lobbyists are finding their way to the Presidential Villa to plead for soft
landing for the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation,
Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA),
Amb. Ayo Oke.
Some heads of
security agencies are said to be canvassing a second opinion on the probe of
Oke.
Ahead of the
submission of the report of the Presidential Investigative Committee headed by
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo tomorrow, there was anxiety last night among
government officials who were implicated in the $43.4million haul.
Lawal is being
probed over alleged N200million contract awarded to a company, Global Vision
Limited, linked with him by the Presidential Initiative for the North East
(PINE) for the clearing of ‘invasive plant species’ (weeds) in Yobe State.
Oke, on the
other hand, is being investigated in connection with the $43.4million cash
haul.
Investigation
however revealed that apart from seeking the forfeiture of the $43.4million,
EFCC might take over apartment 7B.
A reliable
source in EFCC said: “The anti-graft commission will soon initiate moves to
seize the apartment 7B in Osborne Towers in line with its mandate.
“The
circumstances surrounding the purchase of the apartment have been faulted by
this commission at a Federal High Court in Lagos. Therefore, we are set to
invoke sections 26 and 28 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004.”
“So, we are
not only interested in the cash, we want to take over the apartment. But we are
awaiting the decision of the committee bring led by the Vice President.”
It was also
learnt that the ongoing probe of the two officials has divided members of the
kitchen cabinet of the President.
A source in
the presidency said: “Even there is a split among the kitchen cabinet members
on Lawal and Oke. The sympathy is more for Oke in view of his high rating in
the intelligence community. He is considered a first class diplomat.
“As a matter
of fact, Oke was the first to initiate the recovery of Abacha loot during the
tenure of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as a desk officer at the Nigerian High
Commission in London. All attempts to make him compromise on Abacha loot failed.
“Of all the
security chiefs, he was the only one who wrote an accurate report to
ex-President Goodluck Jonathan that he would lose the 2015 presidential
election to President Muhammadu Buhari at the risk of his job.
“This is why
he was baffled when the $43.4million was linked to the campaign funds for
Jonathan.
“Oke has also
travelled with the President with his initiatives making the foreign trips of
Buhari attracting investments.
“What the
lobbyists, including some security chiefs, are saying is that Oke should not be
humiliated out of office. They said he should either be allowed to go on
voluntary retirement or compulsorily retired.
“Some security
chiefs are of the opinion that Oke’s trial might set a dangerous precedent.”
Asked to be
forthcoming, the presidency source said: “The whole thing is messy and
complicated.”
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