$43.4m cash haul: Buhari orders EFCC to probe Ameachi
Following the alarm raised by former Minister of Aviation Chief Femi Fani- Kayode that the cash stashed away in dollars, pounds sterling and Naira denominations in Flat 7, No. 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, belongs to former governor of Rivers state now Minister of Transport, RotimiAmeachi, President MuhammaduBuhari has allegedly ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to commence investigation immediately.
A highly placed source at the commission told Nigerian pilot weekend that the president gave the directive shortly after the Jumat prayers with EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu, governor of Kaduna state, Ahmed Nasir El-Rufai at the presidential Villa yesterday.
According to the aide to the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Magu, had gone to the villa to brief the president on the recent raids and money recovered as well as to partake in the Friday Jumat prayers when the president drew his attention to the allegations raised by the former Aviation minister against Ameachi.
The source further added that a discreet and powerful investigation into who the real owner of the money is ongoing as well as the owner of the apartment.
He said the commission will do a thorough investigation that is water tight to ascertain if really the former governor of Rivers state owns the cash before he will be eventually invited by the operatives of the commission for some interactions.
The source further added that with the recent rulings in court, the acting chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu has issued a directive that thorough investigations and underground checks should be carried on against suspects before they are interrogated.
It will be recalled that operatives of the EFCC on Thursday stormed the Abuja residence of the former the former Managing Director of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC, and later Managing Director of NNPC Retail, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue who was retired last week. But she denied having anything to do with the warehoused money.
According to EFCC source, the money totaling an estimated $43.4 million, comprising $43.3 million, N23 million and £27,000, all in cash, was discovered through a sting operation carried out by the anti-graft agency.
