N13bn Money Laundering: EFCC Declares Ex-NIA DG, Oke, Wife Wanted

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ayodele Oke and his wife, Folasade, wanted for failing to appear in court to answer for the N13 billion money laundering charges against them.

Oke and his wife had reportedly travelled out of the country for medical treatment in late January shortly before they were to be arraigned in court.

Justice Chukwujeku Aneke of a Federal High Court Lagos, had on February 7, 2019, issued an arrest warrant against the couple following an oral application by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo.

This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade.

Oke and his wife are wanted in connection with the $43 million, £27,800 and N23.8 m cash recovered by the commission from an apartment at Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, in April 2017.

Under the former DG, the NIA was said to have collected $289,202,382 in cash for special operations from the account of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services at the Central Bank of Nigeria in February 2015.

The agency had claimed that the funds were meant for covert intelligence operations, but the Federal Government insisted it was a case of looting.

The FG subsequently set up a three-man panel headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo which indicted Oke and recommended his dismissal. Criminal charges were subsequently filed against him and his wife in February this year over the cash found at the Ikoyi apartment.