The federal government’s whistle-blower’s initiative led to the recovery of the monies Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue who is the former managing-director, operations at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been named as owner of the huge cash uncovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). It was earlier reported that a sting operation by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday, April 12 in a residential building in the 7th Floor of a four – bedroom apartment at Osborne Towers located at 16, Osborne road Ikoyi led to the recovery of huge cash in different currencies
Bankers were brought in with their counting machines and the total amount was put at $43.4m, £27,800 and N23.2m. According to Sahara Reporters, top sources at the EFCC confirmed that the money was owned by Nnamdi-Ogbue who was recently sacked alongside three other top NNPC officials over oil sale scandal. NAIJ.com had reported that in 2016, her cook, Mr. Gabel Segbedji, who is from Benin Republic had absconded with cash and pieces of jewellery worth $6million in 2016. According to the EFCC, “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