Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, the sacked Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has denied that the large sums of money reportedly recovered in an apartment in Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) belong to her.
The reports involve the sums of $43m, N23m and £27,000, and yesterday, an EFCC source told SaharaReporters that the money which was found in a house built by former People’s Democratic Party Chairman Adamu Muazu belongs to Mrs. Nnamdi-Ogbue.
A press statement issued today by the law firm of Emeka Etiaba, Emeka Etiaba & Co, who claim to speak for the former NNPC boss, said neither the money nor the apartment where the sums were found belong to Mrs. Nnamdi-Ogbue.
“Our Client is as shocked as many other Nigerians at the uncovering and recovery of the said sums of money and wishes to salute the courage and efforts of the EFCC in the war against corruption,” they said. “She also wishes to commend the whistle blowing policy introduced by the Federal Government in the fight against corruption which policy has resulted in large scale uncovering and recovery of monies and assets.”
Calling on the media to be “more circumspect” in what it publishes, they said Mrs. Nnamdi-Ogbue believes that the source and ownership of the money “is known or eventually will be known by the EFCC in due course” and that there is, therefore, no need for conjecture or speculation.