News

I’m not owner of uncovered funds at Osborne Towers – Nnamdi-Ogbue

Published

10 years ago

April 13, 2017

Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue has cried out to deny ownership of the uncovered sums of money, in different currencies, at Osborne Towers, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Briefing her Legal Counsel, Emeka Etiaba SAN, Nnamdi-Ogbue expressed shocked over media reports linking her to the uncovered and recovered funds.

Accordingly, the legal firm of Emeka Etiaba SAN, in a statement this Thursday, emphasized: “The attention of our client, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, has been drawn to the news that the large sums of money to wit: $38 million, N23 million and 27,000 Pounds uncovered by the EFCC from an apartment in Osborne Towers, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, belong to her.”

Etiaba declared in the statement: “By this press release, we inform the public (especially the news media) that the said sums of money and/or the apartment where the sums of money were found do not belong to our client.

“Our client is as shocked as many other Nigerians at the uncovering and recovery of the said sums of money and wishes to salute the courage and efforts of the EFCC in the war against corruption.

ALSO SEE: EFCC uncovers N15 billion in local, foreign notes at Ikoyi

“She also wishes to commend the whistle blowing policy introduced by the Federal Government in the fight against corruption which policy has resulted in large scale uncovering and recovery of monies and assets.

“It is our Client’s belief that the source and ownership of the said uncovered sums of money is known or eventually will be known by the EFCC in due course. There is, therefore, no need for conjecture or speculation.”

The legal firm, hereafter, implored the news media to be more circumspect in their publications.

It was widely reported that operatives of the EFCC discovered and seized $43.4 million, £27,800 and N23.2 million in cash on Wednesday, at an Ikoyi luxury residential apartment complex (Osborne Towers) located at 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi. The luxury complex was identified to belong to a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Muazu.

Further report of the discovery indicated that EFCC sources revealed that “the apartment where the money was found allegedly belongs to Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, a Managing Director at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Retail Unit.”

It was indicated that the funds were seized after a whistle blower in Abuja leaked the awareness of the stashed cash.

Nnamdi-Ogbue was identified to have served as Managing Director of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company Limited (PPMC), a subsidiary and cash flow channel of the NNPC.