How anti-graft agency found $9.8M in ex-GMD's apartment

The cash totalled $9.8M and £74, 000 by the time the anti-graft agency was done counting.

The money belongs to Mr. Andrew Yakubu who oversaw affairs at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 2012 and 2014.

It was the era of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Diezani Alison-Madueke.

It was "a special operation", EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren said in a statement made available to Pulse.

EFCC operatives considered the amount "staggering".

According to Uwujaren; “a special operation conducted by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 3rd February, 2017 on a building belonging to a former of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Andrew Yakubu in Kaduna yielded the recovery of a staggering sum of $9,772,800 and another sum of £74,000 cash.

"The huge cash was hidden in a fire proof safe.”

The house where the cash was found, didn't look the part. It stands as one of the cleverest decoys in the book--sandy neighbourhood, falling roof and scanty interior.

You also wouldn't have guessed that the shanties of Sabon Tasha, Kaduna would play host to millions of dollars.

The contrast couldn't have been starker.

Uwujaren said the EFCC received intelligence reports that proceeds of crime were hidden in this particular Kaduna slum and moved with as much haste as it could manage.

When the EFCC arrived this nondescript apartment in this nondescript neighbourhood of Kaduna, Yakubu's younger brother, Bitrus Yakubu, revealed that the apartment belongs to his elder brother who probably resides in the posh areas of Abuja or Lagos.

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Uwujaren said: “On arrival at the facility, the caretaker of the house, one Bitrus Yakubu, a younger brother to Andrew Yakubu, disclosed that both the house and the safe where the money was found belong to his brother, Andrew Yakubu.

“When the safe was opened, it was discovered that it contained the sum of $9,772,800 (Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand, Eight Hundred United States Dollars) and another sum of £74,000 (Seventy Four Thousand Pound Sterling)".

The former NNPC GMD has since turned himself in. He however said the stash of cash were gifts.

According to the EFCC spokesperson, “On February 8, 2017, Andrew Yakubu reported to the commission’s Zonal office in Kano and made statement wherein he admitted ownership of the recovered money, claiming it was gift from unnamed persons. He is currently assisting the investigation.”

Yakubu wasn't immediately available for comments for this story because he was still locked in EFCC custody at the time of heading to press.

Appearing before a House Committee on Financial Crimes this week, EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu said the anti-graft agency has recovered N102.91B, $8.30M, GBP 29,155, 12,475 pounds, 117,004 Canadian dollars as proceeds of crime between January and December, 2016.

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A breakdown of the documents tendered to the House shows that the commission has secured 135 convictions in the Muhammadu Buhari era.

46 convictions were secured from the Lagos zone, 30 from Abuja zone, 22 from Port Harcourt zone, 19 from Kano zone, 15 from Enugu zone and three from Gombe zone during the period under review, according to the commission.

President Buhari rode to power on the back of a promise to crack down on graft.

Several former top ranking government officials are standing trial in courts spread across the land for charges bordering on corruption, fraud and money laundering.