EFCC breaks silence on raid on Atiku’s sons’ apartment
NEWS DIGEST – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed on Monday that a building housing the apartment occupied by two sons of Atiku Abubakar was raided over the weekend, but the anti-graft office denied vehemently the operation had anything to do with the opposition presidential candidate’s family.
The building in the highbrow Maitama neighbourhood also houses an apartment occupied by sons of Theodore Orji, the former governor of Abia State who has been under corruption investigation by the EFCC.
In a statement Monday afternoon, the EFCC said the raid was strictly targeted at Mr Orji’s sons, some of whom were arrested and their cars confiscated.
“The recent arrest of Ogbonna Orji, son of Sen. Theodore Orji, over money laundering, has absolutely nothing to do with son of ex-VP Atiku Abubakar.
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“The former Abia governor has been under investigations by the EFCC, for money laundering activities, which was discovered to have been carried out through his sons.
“The EFCC had been on the trail of cars allegedly bought by the sons, and last Friday the cars were traced to a night club in Abuja, where operatives waited patiently through the night to arrest the owners – Ogbonna and his friend, Kelvin Ilonah.
“They were arrested at about 5am on Saturday, and they led operatives to their three-flat apartment, where documents retrieved showed that it was rented at a rate of N13million per annum.
“They have so far given useful information to the EFCC, which is aiding in investigations. It should be made clear that the EFCC never “went after” Atiku’s sons, neither was Atiku’s son arrested by the EFCC,” a string of tweets by the EFCC said in full.
The anti-graft agency did not say if it knew before the raid that one of the apartments was owned by Mr Abubakar’s sons. It also did not say if Mr Orji’s sons briefed the operatives before the raid that the neighbouring apartment belonged to Mr Abubakar’s sons.
