A Lagos High Court has ordered the temporary forfeiture of nearly $40 million and some other cash found in a luxury apartment in Lagos, until on owner shows up.
Well, one has allegedly shown up, and it is an angry government intelligence agency.
It is livid that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) still went ahead to court after its head, Ayodele Oke, of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), got in touch with him over the breach of its safe house and removal of cash mean for subterranean operations, sources say.
Government watchers fear that opening another front of “war” with the intelligence agency, after that with the Department of State Services (DSS) may worsen Magu’s travails and weaken inter-agency co-operation.
DSS actually wrote the report that nailed Magu’s confirmation hearing in the Senate and set the legislate house on a collision course with the presidency.
It is now getting clearer why the NNPC directot, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, hinted in her denial of the ownership of the money, that the owner was known.