More Ikoyi ‘Whistleblowers’ Emerge, Sues Nigerian Government To Court

Some people who say they passed the information that led to the recovery of funds at an apartment in Lagos have dragged the Nigerian government to court.

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Abdulmumin musa, Stephen Sunday and Bala Usman say they approached the EFCC in Lagos in December 2016 and informed the agency concerning the N13 billion that the National intelligence agency claimed it kept for “covert operations” in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos.

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The claim by the 3 men contradicts earlier admission by the EFCC and the finance ministry that another whistle blower was on the verge of being paid a commission for the operation.

In a lawsuit filed on Nov 22 at the Abuja Division of the Federal high court, the trio demanded immediate suspension of payments to anyone else but themselves.

Public relations consultants, PR Nigeria, disclosed details of the lawsuit to PREMIUM TIMES Monday afternoon.

PR Nigeria explained that lawyers to the trio had written to Attorney-General Abubakar Malami in August, accusing the Economic and financial Crimes Commission of shortchanging the whistleblowers by bringing others who weren’t the arrowhead of the whistle processing.

The solicitors noted that “Our clients informed United States sometime in December 2016 that 3 (3) of them voluntarily walked into the office of the Economic and financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) at 15A Awolowo Road Ikoyi, Lagos and gave important info that led to the recovery of over N13 billion at the Ikoyi Towers, Lagos.”

The lawyers further told the AGF that “upon later visit to give a detailed info as needed by the commission to raid the tower, they were told if the operation was successful , 5-hitter of the amount recovered will be their take home within 72 hours of recovery, they were also cautioned that if the information happened to be false, then they will definitely be in trouble which the 3 mentioned above accepted as a result of they were sure of their facts.”

The petition continues: “That when the operation was carried out, it was successful however since then they have not received any commendation by the commission, let alone give any reward as declared although the EFCC have their names and phone numbers”.

The petitioners said rather than do the required, some of the EFCC workers gave them further info that they weren’t the only people who gave them info on the Ikoyi Tower as others were also involved without mentioning them.

Upon varied meetings by the 3 persons mentioned above, they agreed to travel back and meet the head of EFCC operations, Samaila Muhammed, and were told on their visit that the numbers have increased to 9 who made the report. They were urged to bring the remaining persons.

The lawsuit might complicate matters for both the EFCC and an alleged whistle blower who was said to have been sent to a psychiatric facility after he protested the delay in the payment of his due commission.

The whistle blower, who was not known, was represented by Yakubu Galadima, a lawyer who said the EFCC had placed the burden of caring for the whistle blower on him in the aftermath of the discovery.