The whistleblower who exposed the $43.4 million stacked in Ikoyi apartment has countered the claim by the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, who declared on Thursday in Vienna, Austria that the whistleblower who led the Commission in recovering the loot has been paid his 5 percent commission.
The whistleblower through his counsel, Yakubu Galadima, on Friday, stated that he has not been paid by the Commission. He lamented bitterly on how he has been abandoned by the EFCC, who has not fulfilled its promise, which also include providing him security.
According to the whistleblower, “The EFCC does not even know the whereabouts of my client. He is presently living from hand to mouth having been abandoned by the Commission.
“We have written to the President and even to Magu himself and we are yet to get any form of response. I even sent Magu an SMS this morning debunking the allegation that my client has been paid. But as I speak, I am yet to get a response from him,” Galadima said.
In a letter made available to our INDEPENDENT, written to the Office of the President, on the 24th of July and 2017, Galadima reminded the President of the promise to pay the whistle-blower his 5 percent commission.
READ ALSO:WHISTLE BLOWER ON IKOYI MONEY NOW A MILLIONAIRE — EFCC
The letter titled: “Request for Payment of Reward/commission Due to Whistleblower Who Facilitated The Recovery of Sums of Monies at No 7B Osborne Towers Ikoyi Lagos”, was received and duly stamped by the office of the President.
Speaking further, Galadima lamented that his client came to him in confidence insisting that the said sum was discreetly warehoused and concealed in the apartment.
“My client provided useful information which led to the recovery of the $43.4m on Wednesday, 12th of April 2017.
“I facilitated a meeting with the EFCC office through one Ahmed Ghali and the money was eventually recovered based on the information my client provided.
“We had a meeting with the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, where we were reassured that my client would get his commission.
“But up till now, my client is yet to get anything from EFCC. We were shocked by the news making the rounds that he has been paid. This young man is yet to receive anything from the EFCC,” Galadima lamented.
It would be recalled that Justice Muslim Hassan of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on the 6th of June 2017 ordered the permanent forfeiture of the said money to the Federal Government.
Furthermore, Justice Saliu Saidu of the same court on Thursday and ordered the temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government, the apartment where the money was recovered.
The anti-graft agency had mentioned that the wife of the sacked Director General (DG) of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, Mrs. Folashade Oke, is the owner of the flat.
