EFCC officials storm Abuja estate over N2 billion probe

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday stormed the Winning Clause, City of David Estate on Plot 67, Kafe District, Gwarinpa Extension of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The operatives, who arrived the estate at 11:00am in a White Toyota Hilux with a Niger State registration number -AJ 596 BDA, left about 11:47am after combing the estate.

Panic stricken residents of the estate were initially shocked at the sudden visit of the operatives who were accompanied by a Police officer but the Chairman of Winning Clause Estate Residents’ Association, Mike Arowosegbe, said they were on search-visit and that their mission was not to seal off the estate office.

According to him, the operatives were on sight assessment mission following their investigations into the affairs of the estate.

Members of the association had petitioned the anti-graft agency alleging that the promoter of the estate, Obiageli Okwubanego, had collected about N2 billion from the subscribers without developing the estate.

It was gathered that the EFCC had earlier interrogated Okwubanego and other stakeholders in the estate.

Arowosegbe also confirmed that the EFCC had earlier interrogated members of the association in furtherance of the probe.

In the petition addressed to EFCC’s Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu, owners of apartments in the estate had requested for a thorough investigation into the activities of Winning Clause Limited and called for the recovery of the money collected from them by Okwubanego, allegedly under false pretense.

Shortly after the EFCC operatives left the estate, Arowosegbe, said: “We actually started this estate around 2008, through a developer called Saraha Homes. But somewhere along the line, around 2012, some other persons showed up with Winning Clause that they were now the new owners.

“When we did our search and we discovered that they were given another allocation in March 2011 without revoking the earlier one given to Proform West Africa, which went into alliance with Saraha Homes for marketing of the estate.”