N2.5b Found in Ex-female Minister's Housemaid's Account

The operatives of the EFCC have uncovered a colossal slush fund stashed in the bank account of housemaid working for a former minister in Nigeria.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has laid its hands on a bank account with over N2.5billion opened in the name of a former female minister’s housemaid.

Investigators of the anti-graft agency believe the account was opened by the former influential minister in the name of the housemaid as part of the effort to cover her track.

However, preliminary investigation has shown that the former minister is the sole signatory to the account, The Nation gathered authoritatively yesterday.

A highly placed EFCC source said yesterday that she would be brought to justice.

“Our findings indicated that the ex-female minister opened an account in the name of her housemaid and with her photograph. But the signature in the account is that of the ex-minister,” the source said.

“At the time we made the discovery, over N2.5billion was in the account. But the volume of transactions in the account has been huge.
“We are suspecting that the ex-minister did not put the housemaid in the picture of what she wanted to do with her passport photograph.

“We have established that the ex-minister has been drawing funds from the said account. We have retrieved records of all transactions by the ex-Minister. We will soon bring her to justice no matter how long it takes to follow due process.”

The EFCC, it was also gathered, has secured a court order to detain Abiodun Agbele (Alias Abbey), an associate of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State.

Agbele was arrested during the week in respect of ongoing investigation into how about N4.745billion of the $2. 1billion arms cash was diverted to a former Minister of Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro and Governor Fayose.

The cash was allegedly sourced from the SAS Imprest Account of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under ex-NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki prior to the conduct of the June 21,2014 Ekiti Governorship poll.

About N1.219billion was allegedly disbursed to Fayose through Abiodun Agbele and De Privateer Limited which is owned by the associate. The ONSA allegedly wired the N4.745billion via Sylvan Mcnamara Limited, a phony company allegedly run by the Obanikoros.