Who owns this
huge money? Ten
million American
dollars and one
million Euros,
equivalents of
Nigeria’s N1.7
billion? In cash?
And being moved
out of Nigeria by
four nondescript
persons with no
social or business
pedigree?
Could this huge
sum be a proceed
of money
laundering by
some politicians or
funds being
funnelled to some
sources for
terrorist activities?
These are
questions that
officials of the
State Security
Services (SSS) are
currently seeking
answers to.
Some SSS officials
arrested the four
men, believed to
be of Northern
origin, while they
were attempting
to board a flight to
Dubai in the United
Arab Emirates
(UAE).
The money was
kept in sacks,
commonly called
Ghana Must Go
bags. When the
foursome could
not explain how
they came about
the money and the
purpose for which
it was meant, the
SSS officers
promptly placed
them on arrest
and handed them
over to officers of
the Police
Command at the
Airport.
The Inspector
General, Mr. Hafiz
Ringim yesterday
ordered a
Commissioner of
Police to lead
investigation into
the money-cache.
The chairperson of
the Economic and
Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC),
Mrs Farida Waziri
has also sent a
team of her
officials to get to
the root of thge
matter, which is
within the purview
of her
organisation, since
it borders on
suspicion of
money laundering
and terrorism
fund.
A source said that
the four men, who
looked “ordinary”,
could not explain
what they were
doing with such
huge sums of
money, even as
they claimed to be
on their way to
the United Arab
Emirates.
It was further
gathered that
when the money
was brought out
from the bags and
counted, the total
sum was about $
10m (N1.5b) and
one million Euros
about N205m.
Said a source: “You
know that there
has been serious
suspicion that
some politicians
and even
governors, move
money out of the
country when the
allocations from
the Federal
Allocation comes.
This large amount
could be one of
such. It is also
possible that the
money is for some
other activities
that are terrorism
related. You know
this period, where
there is crisis all
over the country,
anything could
happen, really. ”
While Nigerian
Compass on
Saturday could not
confirm from Police
authorities, the
spokesman of the
EFCC, Mr. Femi
Babafemi
confirmed that his
commission was
aware of the
development.
According to him,
“ The EFCC is aware
of the matter and
we believe it is
witin the purview
of the EFCC to
unravel the source
of the money. We
are already
investigating the
matter and would
make it public
soon ”
It was further
learnt that the
suspicion of
security agencies
on the source of
the money was
not unrelated with
the crises that
have become the
lot of some parts
of Northern
Nigeria in the past
one year and the
incessant bomb
blasts in the
country recently.
While Borno State
has been
witnessing
mayhem from a
religious sect,
Boko Haram, Jos in
Plateau State has
become a shadow
of itself, over
internecine wars,
that border on
both ethnic and
religious reasons.
Between October
1 and December
last year, Abuja,
the once peaceful
Federal Capital
Territory, has
witnessed two
separate multiple
bomb blasts that
has tens of
persons killed.
That is in addition
to similar blasts in
some other parts
of the country.