A Non-Governmental Organisation, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has predicted that the anti-corruption crusade in the country will die down if President Muhammadu Buhari does not take steps to ensure that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discontinue with the plot to cover-up the identity of the real owner of the $43 million cash found in a residential apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos.

In a statement by its National Coordinator of the association, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA accused some Presidency officials of colluding with the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to frame up a contrived ownership of the massive fund discovered by the anti-graft agency only because a key player in the current Federal Government is said to own the flat where these illicit fund were concealed.

Besides, HURIWA has called on the National Assembly to call off their Easter break and quickly begin the investigation of the ownership of the money particularly because of a number of claimants identified with the cash including the Rivers State government and the allegations that the money belonged to the Rivers state government but taken away by the erstwhile governor Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.

“We hereby call on the National Assembly to convoke an emergency joint session to carry out immediate but comprehensive investigation of the developing story around the ownership of the massive cash concealed in the Ikoyi flat. Let the National Assembly also demand that the EFCC come clean on this scandal,” the group said.

HURIWA recalled that the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, gave the Federal Government an ultimatum of seven days to return the $43 million to the Rivers State Government failure which the state government will take legal measures to ensure that it gets back what it believes to be her stolen resources.

Governor Wike claimed that investigation by the Rivers State Government revealed that the money was money from the sale of gas turbines by the immediate past administration in Rivers State headed by Amaechi.

HURIWA said it has become necessary that a thorough probe of the entire development is carried out to determine the real owner of the flat in Ikoyi whereby these cash were found.

“We think the National Intelligence Agency lied if it claims that it was keeping such a huge fund in a private flat for an undisclosed national security projects when the money wasn't part of the appropriations for 2016 and the National Security Adviser nor the President is aware of the existence of such a fund not until the EFCC through a Whistleblower blew the cover. This cover up plots by EFCC and the Presidency will damage the integrity of the anti-graft crusade in Nigeria,” HURIWA said.

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