N13bn Ikoyi cash: EFCC approaches Interpol for arrest of ex-NIA DG, Oke, wife

The Economic and Financial Crimes  Commission (EFCC) has approached Interpol for the arrest of a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Folasade.

The whereabouts of the couple remain unknown one week after they were declared wanted by the EFCC.

According to the anti-corruption body, they are wanted for failing to appear in court to answer to the N13bn money laundering charges against them.

The couple reportedly travelled out of the country for medical treatment in  January before they were to be arraigned.

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

Sequel to the court order, the commission on March 24 declared the ex-spy chief and his wife wanted in a statement by its acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade.

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

Orilade said the EFCC had asked Interpol to arrest the couple wherever they might be hiding.

He added that the commission expected all Interpol member-countries to execute the arrest warrant issued against them.

He said, “We have done what we needed to do. We have notified Interpol and we expect them to issue a red notice against the couple and arrest them wherever they may be found. We don’t know where they are at  present.”

Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, also could not provide an update on the status of the EFCC request to Interpol, stating that he was out of town.

A check on Interpol website, however, did not turn up any information on Oke and his wife, an indication that they had not been listed on the wanted persons’ section of the site.

Only the profiles of a handful of Nigerians were listed out of the 6,855 wanted persons.

They include Odife Ikemefuna, 55, wanted for importing banned drugs and psychotropic substances from India and Iyinoluwa Victor, 55, wanted for drug trafficking.

Under Oke, the NIA allegedly 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.  The panel indicted Oke and recommended his dismissal from service.

Criminal charges were subsequently filed against him and his wife in February this year over the cash found at the Ikoyi apartment.