The whistle-blower, who
helped the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission recover the $43m, N23.2m
and £27,800 (N13bn) from an Ikoyi apartment on April 12, 2017, has finally been
paid his commission, The Punch has learnt.
The whistle-blower’s
lawyer, Mr. Yakubu Galadima, confirmed the development to a Punch correspondent
on phone.
He praised the government
for finally honouring its agreement after eight months.
Galadima also joked that
his client did not run mad after receiving the money as predicted by some
government officials.
He, however, said his
client had not been paid in full, adding that the Federal Government had
promised to pay him the balance next year.
The lawyer said, “My client
confirmed to me that he had received a credit alert from the Federal
Government. He travelled out of the country this morning (Wednesday morning).
“He has been paid the first
instalment but there were many tax deductions. Yes, we are happy. I will give
you more details later but I can confirm now that he has received some money.
“As you can see, my client
did not run mad as predicted by Prof. Itse Sagay.”
Galadima said the Federal
Government’s decision to pay his client was an evidence that his client was the
real whistle-blower out of the others that had been laying claim to the money.
At least three persons have
laid claim to the commission including one Abdulmumumuni Musa, who has sued the
Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation.
The National Intelligence
Agency had laid claim to the recovered money which has been forfeited
permanently to the Federal Government.
The money, which was
recovered from Flat 7B, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, led to the suspension and
eventual sacking of the Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke.
The N13bn recovered from
the Osborne Towers was said to have been part of the $289,202,382 the NIA
received from the Central Bank of Nigeria in February 2015.
The transaction was
purportedly approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan through the
embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
On paper, the transaction
was known as an intervention fund for national security or special services
with the aim of fighting insurgency during the six weeks period between
February 14 and March 28 after the election was postponed.
However, the operatives of
the EFCC believe that the money was meant to finance the 2015 general
elections.
No one has, however, been
prosecuted till date.
PUNCH
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