Oscarline Onwuemenyi
14 April 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – A former Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, has denied owning the apartment where the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, uncovered over $50m in Ikoyi, Lagos State.
Reports had earlier filtered online that the former NNPC Director owned the apartment the huge sums was recovered from.
However, Nnamdi-Ogbue while speaking through her lawyer, Emeka Etiaba, frowned at the report, saying there was no need for “conjecture.”
In a statement by Etiaba, the former NNPC Director expressed hope that the anti-graft agency will in due course uncover the owner of the property and the huge sum.
According to Etiaba, “The attention of Our Client, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue has been drawn to the news making round in the News Media to the effect that the large sums of money to wit: $38,000,000.00 (Thirty-Eight Million Dollars), isN23,000,000.00 (Twenty-Three Million Naira) and £27,000.00 (Twenty-Seven Thousand Pounds) uncovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from an apartment in Osborne Towers, Osborne Road, Ikoyi Lagos, Lagos State belong to her.
“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.
“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 are known or eventually will be known by the EFCC in due course. There is, therefore, no need for conjecture or speculation.
“May we finally implore the News Media to be more circumspect in their publications.”
