Detective Comb N20m Per Annum Luxury Apartments Of Inside Osbone Towers Where Mysterious Mind Boggling Fund Was Discovered

DETECTIVES have searched all the apartments in Osborne Towers, the Ikoyi, Lagos building where $43.4million was found last Wednesday.

Among the VIP tenants of the luxurious apartments is former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who confirmed the search yesterday.

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Adamu Mua’zu and a former Petroleum Product Marketing Company (PPMC) Managing Director, Mrs Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue also own apartments in the Towers.

With a lease rate of N20million per annum, Osborne Towers “is one if the best residential property in Africa”.

Obi’s is flat 1. His media aide Val Obienyem confirmed that it was searched by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials.

Obienyem, who stressed that the former governor lives in Onitsha, said that the apartment was rented by Obi’s wife. He usually stays there whenever he is in Lagos.

Obienyem, who cautioned against “mischief makers seeking fault in Obi”, said all the tenants in the building were also searched.

“Even though Mr. and Mrs Obi had travelled to the USA and the U.K. for speaking engagements, when we relayed the message of the search to him, he quickly sent the keys to the 4-bedroom apartment to the EFCC via courier. He even left instructions that we should allow them to also search his Onitsha residence should there be need for that. After the thorough searching, nothing was found in the apartment”, Obienyem said.

Obienyem added that during the search one of the operatives of the EFCC was overheard doubting if the apartment had anything to do with Obi because it was the simplest in terms of furnishing.

As part of the probe of the controversial cash haul, EFCC Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu has shifted his base to Lagos.

The anti-graft agency yesterday insisted that the cash would be forfeited to the Federal Government.

It said whoever has reasons that the money should not be forfeited should come to the court on May 5.

It was learnt that Magu’s relocation to Lagos was to tidy up the probe of how the $43.4million found its way to Apartment 7B.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are still digging; we are working round the clock on the cash recovered from Osborne Towers. There are some clues that there could be more hidden cash; this is why we are combing some places based on intelligence.

“We are still interacting with occupants of the Towers. Some of them have made useful statements.

“This investigation is highly sensitive; this is why the EFCC has not addressed the press on this matter. This explains why the Acting EFCC chairman has shifted base from Abuja to Lagos to drive the process. I think in the next 48 hours, we should be through with this stage of investigation.”

On the fate of the $43.4million, the EFCC in a tweet yesterday said there is no going back on the forfeiture of the cash to the Federal Government.

It said whoever has any reason that the cash should not be forfeited should approach the Federal High Court in Lagos on May 5.

“The court has ruled that whoever has reasons why the money should not be forfeited to the Federal Government should stand before it on May 5,” the EFCC said.

The $3.4million has been placed under Interim Forfeiture by the High Court.

thenation