The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Friday claimed ownership of the N15 billion found in an apartment in Lagos State for the Rivers State Government.
Wike said the immediate past Governor of the state and now Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, took the money from Rivers State.
Wike, at a news conference, said the $43 million, £27,800 and N23 million found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos on Wednesday was part of the slush funds with which Amaechi sponsored the 2015 presidential campaigns of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Wike said investigations by the Rivers State Government revealed that the money was proceed from the sale of gas turbines by Amaechi.
He said: “The money in question belongs to the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
“We want to confirm that the houses in Ikoyi also belong to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
“If you recollect in 2015, we said that gas turbines built by former Governor Peter Odili were sold to Sahara Energy, business partners of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, at $319 million.
“That money was used to sponsor the All Progressives Congress for the 2015 general elections.
“From the date of sale of the gas turbines to May 29, 2015, the money depleted from $319 million to $204,000.
“What was stashed at the Ikoyi residence was part of that fund.
“We have facts to prove that the said money belongs to the Rivers State Government.”
Giving the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to return the money, Wike said all the stories being peddled about the money belonging to the National Intelligence Agency were false and mere face saving measures by the Federal Government.
He said: “As I speak to you, the Federal Government is so embarrassed that this has happened.
“All the stories that the money belongs to the NIA are fake.”
Wike challenged the Federal Government to set up a panel of Inquiry, which should sit publicly, to investigate the source of the money, if it doubted the claim of the state government.
He said the State Government needed the money to complete several ongoing projects, adding: “We are giving them seven days to return our money.
“Otherwise, we would take legal action to recover our money.
“$43million will help us complete several projects.
“We need that money for projects.”
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