Wife of the suspended NIA DG bought the Osborne flat- EFCC

Mrs. Folashade Oke, the wife of the suspended Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, is the owner of the apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos where the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, ceased over $43m last month.

The anti- graft agency made the disclosure in an affidavit it submitted at the federal high court, Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday.

The affidavit tendered to support a prayer for the permanent forfeiture of the money to the federal government, the EFCC said a company called Choba Ventures Limited bought the flat and paid for it between August and September 2015.

In the affidavit filed in support of its prayer for forfeiture, the EFCC tendered the receipt of payment to Choba Ventures Limited issued by Fine & Country Limited, another company.

The agency also tendered a Deed of Assignment between Union Bank of Nigeria plc and Choba Ventures Limited, while the third exhibit is a publication of the order of the court.

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Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC lawyer, said the commission’s finding in the course of investigation leaves no one in doubt that flat 7, Osborne was purchased by Choba Ventures Limited and that the company’s directors are one Ayodele Folashade Oke and her son.

The agency said Folashade Oke, to buy the property, gave $1.658m to Salla Petroleum and Gas Limited which turned out to be a bureau de change company. The latter converted the money to naira and credited the account of Fine and Country.

Fine and Country acknowledged the receipt of the money on 27th and 28th of August as well as 2nd and 3rd of September 2015 with a naira equivalent of N360,000,000.

“Upon the payment, a Deed of Assignment was then executed between UBN and Choba Ventures Limited,” Oyedepo said.

The agency said that despite notices published in newspapers, neither Oke nor Choba Ventures had come forward to lay claims to the ceased money.

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Oyedepo, therefore, urged the court to hold that the commission’s submission that the house and the money found in it are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful act.

He also urged the court to agree to permanently forfeit the money to the federal government in view of the fact that no one has come forward to lay claim to the money within the 14 days given by the court.

The commission said in coming forward to seek the order for final forfeiture, it has complied with the court directives as contained in the earlier order of interim forfeiture granted by the court by publishing the order in a national daily newspaper.

The anti-graft agency said so far nobody has come forward to show interest in the huge money found.

Hassan has adjourned ruling till 6th of June.