EFCC Duped Us – Real Ikoyi Whistleblowers Cry Out, Petition AGF

Controversies continue to trail the payment of the 5% commission to the whistleblower who gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) tips that led to the recovery of $43.4 million, N23.3 million and 27,800 Euros stashed in an apartment at the Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos, on April 22, 2017.

This is as the original whistleblowers have petitioned the office of the Attorney General of the Federation(AGF) and Minister of Justice.

Their petition was obtained and released to the media by PRNigeria on Tuesday.

Dated August 24th, 2017; addressed to the AGF and received on September 8th, 2017, solicitors to the claimants, No Limit Legal Partners, on behalf of Messrs Abdulmumin Musa, Stephen Sunday and Bala Usman, told the AGF that his clients by the workings of EFCC have shortchanged the whistleblowers by bringing others who were not the arrowhead of the whistleblowing.

The solicitors noted that “Our clients informed us sometime in December 2016 that three (3) of them voluntarily walked into the office of the EFCC at 15A Awolowo Road Ikoyi, Lagos and gave vital information that led to the recovery of over N13 billion at the Ikoyi Towers, Lagos.”

The Legal Practitioners further told the AGF that “upon subsequent visit to give a detailed information as required by the commission to raid the Tower, they were told if the operation was successful, 5% of the amount recovered will be their take-home within 72 hours of recovery, they were also cautioned that if the information happened to be false, then they will definitely be in trouble which the three mentioned above accepted because they were sure of their facts”.

“That when the operation was carried out, it was successful but since then they have not received any commendation by the commission, let alone give any reward as stated even though the EFCC have their names and phone numbers”.

The petitioners said rather than to do the needful, some of the EFCC staff gave them further information that they were not the only people who gave them information on the Ikoyi Tower as others were also involved without mentioning them.

Upon various meetings by the three persons, they agreed to go back and meet the Head of EFCC operations, Alhaji Samaila Muhammed and were told on their visit that the numbers have increased to nine (9) who made the report urging them to bring the remaining persons.