EFCC foils plot to steal seized $2.1m NHIS cash

2 people have made separate attempts to claim the $2.1m

(about N418million) cash seized by the National Drug Law

Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed

International Airport from the custody of the Economic and

Financial Crimes Commission.

The NDLEA had on July 3 intercepted the cash which was

being conveyed by a bureau de change operator, Mr. Ibiteye

John Bamidele.

The anti-narcotics agency had suspected the bureau de

change operator of laundering the money.

Following his confession that he was on money laundering

errand allegedly for a former Executive Secretary of the

National Health Insurance Scheme, Dr. Olufemi Thomas, the

NDLEA had on July 8th handed the suspect and the cash to

the EFCC.

It has however, been revealed that 2 different people have

showed up at the Lagos office of the EFCC to claim the

cash.

It was learnt that one of the impostors, a man, who showed

up to claim ownership of the money, later confessed to

EFCC operatives that he was hired by some persons he

didn’t name to retrieve the money from the commission and

he was arrested by the EFCC.

Another person,lady, this time was also said to have

appeared at the Lagos office of the EFCC, claiming that she

was the one that gave Bamidele the money.

The lady was said to have made repeated calls to the

supposed owner of the money who failed to fulfil his

promise that he would meet her at the EFCC office.

When she realised that her partner had failed her with the

refusal to appear at the commission. She was also said to

have pleaded for mercy when the operatives confronted her

with facts from Bamidele.

A top officer of the EFCC, who spoke on condition of

anonymity said :

“Another thing you must know about this drama is

that the commission has foiled some attempts to

retrieve the money.

“From the time the case was handed over to the

commission on July 8, 2015 to date, two people

have come forward to claim the money.

“A few days after the money was handed over to the

EFCC, a man came to the office to claim the money

but when he was grilled, he contradicted himself. In

fact, he said he was hired by some persons to claim

and retrieve the money from the commission.

“Apart from the man, another woman showed up the

following day to claim that she was the one who

gave Bamidele the money.

“According to her claim, the money was proceeds of

an investment which was liquidated with a bank and

was intended to be used to purchase a property for

the construction of a cardiac centre.

“However, her claim fell through when operatives

confronted her. The bureau de change operator who

was caught with the money did not mention her

name. Then she realised that she wasn’t going

anywhere with her lies, she started pleading for

mercy.”

Meanwhile, indications emerged on Saturday that Thomas

had been granted administrative bail on Friday by the EFCC

after undergoing interrogation in relation to the seized

$2.1m.

The EFCC had invited the former NHIS boss, the prime

suspect, for interrogation on Friday and released him after

hours of interrogation.

On Saturday the EFCC operatives, who grilled the ex-NHIS

boss in relation to the ownership of the controversial

money, asked him to report to the Lagos office of the

commission for further investigation whenever he is

needed.

No date was fixed for the next session with the

commission.

Another senior officer of the EFCC, who also spoke on

condition of anonymity, said

“The case involving the seized $2.1 million is still

pending. The man was interrogated on Friday but

released to go on what we call administrative bail.

“Since the case is a Lagos case, he is expected to

be reporting to the commission’s office in Lagos

whenever he is needed.”

Punch