The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has produced evidence to show that wife of suspended Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Folashade Oke actually owns the flat in Ikoyi where the controversial $43.6 million was found. The EFCC, at a Federal High Court in Lagos, presented 3 exhibits to this effect, according to ThisDay namely;
- The receipt of payment to Choba Ventures Limited (owned by Mrs. Oke and her son) and issued by Fine & Country Ltd, a real estate firm responsible for selling flats in the building.
- A Deed of Assignment between Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and Choba Ventures Limited
- A publication of an earlier order of the court, requiring that the owners of the money found in the flat come forward or risk forfeiting it to the Federal Government (FG)
According to the EFCC lawyer, in his appeal to the court for a final forfeiture, explained that the transaction took place in the following order of events
- Oke, through her company, Choba Ventures Limited, gave $1.658 million to Salla Petroleum and Gas Limited which turned out to be a Bureau de Change.
- Salla Petroleum and Gas Limited converted the money to naira and credited the account of Fine and Country.
- Fine and Country acknowledged the receipt of the money with a naira equivalent of N360,000,000.
- A Deed of Assignment was then executed between UBN and Choba Ventures Limited.
With the preceding argument, it seems clear that the EFCC is not awaiting the decision of the Presidential committee set up to investigate the matter, but rather pushing on with its own agenda of ensuring that the money is forfeited. The EFCC is relying on the expiry of the 14 days initially given by the court for the owners to show up or risk final forfeiture for its continued suit. How well this will go down with the Presidency however, remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that more actors are introduced into this drama on a daily basis.
Loot found in Flat 7b
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