$9.8m: Kaduna Residents Shocked By EFCC’s Discovery
Residents of Chikun road in Sabon-Tasha area have expressed shock over the huge sum of money recovered from a house belonging to the former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) Andrew Yakubu in Kaduna.
A special operation conducted by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), on February 3, 2017 on a building belonging to Yakubu yielded the recovery of $9,772,800 and another sum of £74,000 cash. The huge cash was reported to be hidden in a fire proof safe.
Our reporter who visited the area reported that residents expressed shock over the revelation, saying it was unfair for an individual to keep such an amount of money while people are suffering and hungry.
A resident who does not want his name mentioned said, “This man kept this huge sum of money in a room with air conditioner while affected victims of Southern Kaduna crisis are crying for help.
“On the day the money was recovered, we were surprised to see Policemen and men of the SSS among others. The policemen were shooting into the air, causing fear and panic. In fact, one of the bullets entered a compound close to where I live. But, the incident remains a surprise,” he lamented.
A woman in the area said: “Imagine the state of this road, yet we have a house with such an amount of money. I am still seeing it as a dream because it is unbelievable. If I can get only N50,000, my life and my business will change.”
On the calibre of people who visit the house, a resident said: “sometimes, we see expensive cars park outside but because majority of tenants in the house don’t open the outside doors, they make use of the backyard doors in the compound; as such, many people don’t know who lives in that particular room.”
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement the surprise raid of the facility was sequel to an intelligence report which the commission received about suspected proceeds of crime believed to be hidden in the area.
According to him, upon arrival at the house, the caretaker, 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.