The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) yesterday said it had traced about
$2.1million (N413million) seized at the Murtala
Muhammed Airport in Lagos to a former
Executive Secretary of a federal parastatal.The
commission said it might be forced to declare
the man wanted if he does not show up for
questioning.
The agency said all attempts to locate the man in
Lagos and Abuja proved futile.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
(NDLEA) on July 3 arrested a bureau de change
operator, Mr. Ibiteye John Bamidele,(above) at
MMA Terminal 2 (MMA2) Lagos with the cash.
The Head of Public Affairs, NDLEA, Mitchel
Ofoyeju, said Bamidele was arrested by anti-
narcotic officials, who suspected that the cash
was to be laundered.
The NDLEA handed over the suspect to the EFCC
on July 8, following his confession that he was
on money laundering errand for the ex-
official.It was, however, learnt that all attempts
by the EFCC to interrogate the suspect had
failed.
A top source in the agency said:
“The EFCC has finalised a plan to declare the
former parastatal’s chief wanted, over a
$2.1million money laundering case.
“The anti-graft agency has been on his trail for
weeks, since a certain Ibiteye John Bamidele
named him as the owner of a $2,198,900 haul,
recovered from him by men of the National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
“Ibiteye was arrested on July 3, 2015 at the
Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos by the
NDLEA and handed over to the EFCC on July 8,
for further investigation.
“The suspect, upon interrogation, named as the
owner of the money, but all efforts to locate him
both in Lagos and his known address in Abuja
proved futile.”
The Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr.
Wilson Uwujaren, said:
“We have plans to declare the man wanted. We
urge anyone with information on his
whereabouts to contact the Commission or the
nearest police station.”
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