Leading crack investigative online news group, SaharaReporters has obtained full list of occupants who officially own live-in flats in Osborne Towers Condominium where operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) found close to $50million penultimate Wednesday.
The building, located at 16 Osborne Road in Ikoyi, has nine floors of 19 Apartments and two penthouses. It is owned by a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, Adamu Muazu, who retained for himself the penthouses, 10A and B; as well as Apartments 11A and 11B.
Whereas inquisitive Nigerians await May 5, when the yet to be known owner of the money will personally appear before the Lagos High Court to present self as the owner in front of the Judge.
Business Hilights recalls that EFCC had secured a ruling last week which ordered a temporary forfeiture of the money to the federal government pending when somebody will show up on May 5, the next adjourned date, failing which the money become permanently forfeited to the federal government.
But there had been several twists including the sudden emergence of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) which laid claim to the funds.
The Director-General of NIA, Ayodele Oke claimed in an outburst that the fund was meant for covert operations authorized by President Goodluck Jonathan during his tenure. SaharaReporters, however, reported on Monday that the woman who was discreetly ferrying the money into the apartment in bags was Mr. Oke’s wife, Folashade.
According to the apartment ownership list obtained by SaharaReporters, other owners include:
1A – A former Guaranty Trust Bank chairman, Fola Adeola, who owns Apartment 1A.
1B – Former Anambra Governor, Peter Obi and his wife, who own Apartment 1B.
2A – Ahmed Kida
2B – Ahmed Kida but apartment occupied by Esther Ogbue (a recently retired MD of NNPC)
3A – Kayode Sonaike
3B – Sterling Assets
4A and 4B – Leo Stan Ekeh
5A – Sterling Bank
5B – Damian Dodo, SAN
6A – Mo Abudu
6B – Career Terminal and Logistics Ltd.
7A – Mr. and Mrs. Edo-Osagie (Daughter of PDP Chieftain Anthony Anenih and her husband)
7B – Chobe Ventures Limited (Controlled by Folashade Oke, wife of DG, NIA) apartment where $50m was found by EFCC)
8A – Chikki Foods
8B – Mr. Balogun
9A – Damian Dodo, SAN
9B – Alhaji Tukur
10 A & B – Ahmed Muazu
11 A & B – Ahmed Muazu.
The NIA has claimed that it warehoused the funds at the apartment, which is under the control of the wife of its DG, in a “transit” arrangement, as it planned to move it to a more permanent location.
It was not however clear how long the money had stayed at the Towers if actually it was there on transit.
But analysts query the rationale behind keeping the fund in a residential apartment instead of a bank in line with banking regulation.
Besides, other pundits say if NIA is the real owner, it has reneged on Treasury Single Account (TSA) by keeping the money not even in a bank, but at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
It was not yet clear if NIA withdrew the fund at the onset of TSA to avoid monitoring by agencies and some people.
