Corruption has been elevated to a new height in Nigeria. We put people who are without moral compass or integrity in position of authority and they milk the treasury dry. These thieves treat the Nigerian treasury like an ATM without a secret pin number. They steal in the name of God or Allah, and use religion and ethnicity to bamboozle us. Like a fool, we always yield to their calls.
As it becomes easier to follow the trail of money, these thieves have turned their houses to bank strong rooms. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have discovered a whooping sum $9.8million in the Kaduna residence of the former Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Andrew Yakubu.
The huge sum was recovered during a surprise raid of Yakubu’s house following an intelligence report. The raid was conducted on February 3, 2017. According to the anti-graft agency’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, “On arrival at the facility, the caretaker of the house, one Bitrus Yakubu, a younger brother to Andrew Yakubu, disclosed that both the house and the safe where the money was found belonged to his brother, Andrew Yakubu.
“When the safe was opened, it was discovered that it contained the sum of $9.7 million and another sum of £74,000.
“On February 8, 2017, Andrew Yakubu reported to the Commission’s Zonal office in Kano and made a statement, wherein he admitted ownership of the recovered money, claiming it was a gift from unnamed persons.
“He is currently assisting with the investigation,” Uwujaren informed.
In another related development, the EFCC has discovered a $37.5m (N11.75bn) luxury high-rise building on Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, allegedly belonging to the embattled former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Properties on Banana Island are believed to be among the most expensive in Africa with a plot of land selling between $4m (N1.25bn) and $6m (N1.8bn), according to Forbes Magazine.
“The property is a 15-storey edifice comprising 18 flats and six penthouses. “The property was acquired by the former minister between 2011 and 2012 at a total cost of $37.5m from the developers, YF Construction Development and Real Estate.
The property was allegedly acquired in the name of a shell company, Rusimpex Limited under the control of certain Mr. Afamefuna Nwokedi of Stillwaters law firm, in Lagos.”
Last year, the commission seized an $18m mansion in the Asokoro area of Abuja allegedly belonging to the ex-minister. She has, however, denied all the allegations leveled against her.
With these and other revelations of this administration’s war against corruption, we all know where the missing NNPC $20 billion went.
