NewsRescue
While denying that the apartment was given to her as a gift, TV host Mo Abudu has admitted information in our earlier story that she owns apartment 7A in the luxurious Osborno towers beside the mysterious apartment where the equivalent of $50 million was found.
A public letter from her attorney denied it was a gift from Minister of transportation Rotimi Amaechi, claiming she bought the apartment in the free market.
The statement read,
“Contrary to these false statements (that the apartment 7A was a gift), Mo Abudu does not live in Flat 7A or 7B, has never lived in Flat 7A or 7B and the apartment she lives in was never a gift from any person. Mo Abudu did not receive any apartment as a gift from Hon. Rotimi Amaechi or any other person. Rather the apartment was purchased by our client in the open market and for fair value.”
The apartments in question are luxury apartments worth over a million dollars each. The statement appeared to indicate that Mo Abudu purchased the said apartment but does not live there.
Our earlier report from sources alleged that minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi is the owner of the apartment containing the $43.4 million, N23m and £27,000 found in apartment 7B of the property on Gerrard road.
According to our sources, Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency has also been reported to be attempting to claim the funds upset the EFCC found and seized them in quite an embarrassing situation for a Buhari minister.
- Related: NewsRescue–#GovernmentMagic: Buhari Must Expose All Culprits Behind $50m Recovered Loot
FLASH: DG NIA Ambassador Ayodele Oke last night said will respond to our inquiries today but he is no longer picking our calls/2
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) April 14, 2017
FLASH: @NGRPresident has directed that $50m seized by @officialEFCC from a Lagos Apt be returned to the @cenbank after NIA claimed the funds
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) April 14, 2017
Minister Amaechi has denied ownership of the apartment, claiming he does not have property in lagos state.
Ekiti state governor Ayodele Fayose and former aviation minister and PDP spokesman Femi Fani-Kayode have both made open accusations against the serving minister, telling him point-blank that he owns the said apartment and the money was stashed against the upcoming 2019 elections.
The $43 million is Rotimi Amaechi’s.He owns the flat it was found in too.NIA story is fake news! NIA does not keep cash in Minister’s flats!
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) April 14, 2017
The EFCC has been quiet of the ownership of apartment 7B where the money was found. Senator Yayi, Peter Obi and Sacked NNPC Managing Director Nnamdi-Ogbue all own apartments in the building.
NewsRescue has been told by some co-tenants that Amaechi owns the apartment under investigation.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, ordered temporary forfeiture of the recovered funds to the federal government.