The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has foiled attempts made by two persons to claim the $2.1 million cash seized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport from the custody of EFCC.

The NDLEA had on July 3 intercepted the cash which was being conveyed by a bureau de change operator, Ibiteye John Bamidele.

NDLEA had suspected the bureau de change operator of laundering the money, interrogated him and following his confession that he was on money laundering errand allegedly for a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme,  Olufemi Thomas, the NDLEA had on July 8 handed over the suspect and the cash to the EFCC.

It was revealed that two different persons have showed up at the Lagos office of the EFCC to claim the cash, one of the impostors, a man, who showed up to claim ownership of the money, later confessed to EFCC operatives that he was hired by some persons he didn’t name to retrieve the money from the commission.

His claim was said to have been punctured by the EFCC team and he was subsequently arrested.

Also, a lady was also said to have appeared at the Lagos office of the EFCC, claiming that she was the one that gave Bamidele the money.

The lady was said to have made repeated calls to the supposed owner of the money who failed to fulfil his promise that he would meet her at the EFCC office.

Upon realization that her partner had left her to her fate and had failed to appear at the commission, she also pleaded for mercy especially when the operatives confronted her with facts from Bamidele.

A top officer of the EFCC said, “Another thing you must know about this drama is that the commission has foiled some attempts to retrieve the money. From the time the case was handed over to the commission on July 8, 2015 to date, two people have come forward to claim the money.

“A few days after the money was handed over to the EFCC, a man came to the office to claim the money but when he was grilled, he contradicted himself. In fact, he said he was hired by some persons to claim and retrieve the money from the commission.

“Apart from the man, another woman showed up the following day to claim that she was the one who gave Bamidele the money. According to her claim, the money was proceeds of an investment which was liquidated with a bank and was intended to be used to purchase a property for the construction of a cardiac centre.

“However, her claim fell through when operatives confronted her. The bureau de change operator who was caught with the money did not mention her name. Then she realised that she wasn’t going anywhere with her lies, she started pleading for mercy.”

Janeth J