EFCC uncovers about N.5bn cash in Lagos Plaza

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered the sum of N448, 850, 000 (Four hundred and forty eight million, eight hundred and fifty thousand naira), in a shop at the LEGICO Shopping Plaza, in Victoria Island, Lagos.

A statement by the EFCC on Friday evening said “operatives of the Commission, acting on a tip-off by a concerned whistle-blower, swooped on the shopping complex and sought the identity of the owners of two shops, LS 64 and LS 67, which were under lock and key.

“The shops had signages of a Bureau de Change. Inquiries about the owner of shop 64 indicated that he had not been seen for a long time, as neighbours 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 that such money was housed inside the shop, as the place hardly opens for business.’’

The statement said the money was stashed in several Ghana-Must-Go bags, in N500 and N1000 denominations, hidden in the shop, awaiting conversion into foreign currency.

It added that the commission was investigating the matter in order to unravel the ownership and source of the funds.