EFCC discovers N448m cash in Lagos shopping Plaza

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)  said it has discovered a sum of N448, 850 suspected to be laundered money inside an abandoned bureau de change on the premises of LEGICO Shopping Plaza, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Commission said it operatives visited the shopping plaza after it received a tip-off by a whistleblower.

According to the EFCC, the money stashed in several bags popularly called ‘Ghana Must Go’ were in N500 and N1000 denominations, hidden in the shops and awaiting conversion into foreign currency. Relying on information provided by a concerned whistle blower, operatives of the Commission swooped in on the shopping complex and sought the identity of the owners of the two shops, LS 64 and LS 67 which were under locks and keys.

The shops had signages of Bureau de Change. Inquiries about the owner of shop 64 indicated he had not been seen for a long time, as they claimed the shop had not been opened for business for close to two years. Several calls were put to the owner of shop 67 but there was no response. The attention of the plaza’s chairman and some traders were drawn in order to force the shops open.

There was no money found in shop 67, but in shop 64, heaps of “Ghana Must Go” bags were found loaded on the floor of the shop. When the bags were unzipped, they were found to contain bundles of naira notes totalling N448,850,000.

 

Traders interviewed at the premises claimed they were not aware such money was housed in there, as the place hardly opened for business. The Commission is investigating the matter in order to unravel the owner and source of the money.

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