NIA claim to N13bn Ikoyi stash, a plot to cover-up real owner –Fayose

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has cried out that claims the huge amount of cash discovered by the EFCC at an apartment in Ikoyi belongs to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is a ploy to cover-up the identity of the real owner.

The governor also lamented that the anti-graft body is still unable to tell Nigerians the owners of the monies so far recovered, or the identity of the owners, or tenants occupying the properties where it has claimed to have recovered huge amounts of cash over the last few weeks.

He also dubbed the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration a government of ‘the more you look the less you see’.

The governor’s comment followed the refusal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to so far disclose the owner of the N13billion discovered at an apartment in Ikoyi Lagos and some other recently uncovered money.

The governor stated this in a statement he signed himself and released Sunday morning.

He said, “Yesterday, it was made public that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) claimed ownership of the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 seized on Wednesday by EFCC from Osborne Towers, a luxury residential complex in Ikoyi, Lagos.

“This, to my mind is one cover-up too many and this Federal Government seeming plot to protect the original owner of both the money and the apartment where it was found has further shown that the anti-corruption fight is political, selective and therefore a ruse.

“Nigerians should recall that I have consistently maintained that the APC-led Federal Government was not fighting any corruption. Rather, the government is using the anti-corruption fight as a major political tool to cripple opposition and turn the country to a one party state.”

The governor therefore called on the Federal government to operate with the mind-set that Nigerians are no fools. “They are capable of asking questions and they are already doing that.”

According to Fayose, some of the questions being asked are, “Who is the owner of the apartment in which the money was found? Does the apartment also belong to the NIA? If the apartment belong to the NIA, when was it bought and from whom? If the apartment does not belong to the NIA, from whom and when was it rented? How could a whistle-blower be aware of movement of money into one out of many apartments in a building without knowing the owner of the apartment?”

Other questions include “If truly the NIA was carrying out a ‘covert operation’ as claimed, was President Muhammadu Buhari not briefed of the so-called ‘covert operation’ when he took over power? Was the National Security Adviser (NSA), whose office controls all intelligence agencies, including the EFCC and DSS not aware of the ‘covert operation’? Was there any security presence at the vicinity of the apartment to suggest that it was being used as warehouse for over N13billion cash belonging to the NIA?”

Read also: N18BN LAGOS STASH: Wike points at Amaechi, says NIA claims balderdash

The governor further asked, “Does NIA need an unprotected apartment to keep such huge sum of money purportedly meant for ‘covert operation’? How much was released for the so-called ‘covert operation’, how much has been spent and to who was account rendered up to date?

“As for me, the script being acted on this discovered cash is a cover-up that will mar the EFCC and the Federal Government. It is a movie well scripted for some ‘alawada’ (comedians) but acted so badly.”

Recalling previous discoveries of money that the EFCC is yet to disclose the owners, Fayose argued that the present case remains a major test of the integrity of the APC government’s so-called anti-corruption fight.

“In the last few weeks, we have been served with dramas of recovery of funds by the EFCC. N49million in cash ranging from N200 to N50 was said to have been found in Kaduna Airport and was promptly ‘arrested’ by EFCC officials.

“But up till now, Nigerians have not been told the identities of those who brought the five sacks in which the cash was found into the airport despite the presence of CCTV cameras at the airport.

“EFCC also fed Nigerians with tales of recovery of N448, 850,000 (Four hundred and forty eight million, eight hundred and fifty thousand naira) cash from a shop at LEGICO Shopping Plaza, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos. We were told that the shop had not been opened for two years and one wonders how the cash got into the shop.

“Up till today, EFCC is yet to tell Nigerians the identity of the owner of the shop and Nigerians are asking whether or not the Legico Shopping Plaza, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos is not owned by anyone and the owner of the Plaza won’t be able to identify his or her tenant.

“As for this latest drama, which has boomeranged, even though we know that the APC-led federal government has the capacity to sweep it under the carpet like many others before it, Nigerians will have it on record that they are being ruled by a government of “the more you look, the less you see,” Fayose said.

 

 

 

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