The alleged theft of an undisclosed amount of US dollars has shaken the Office of the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Platinum Times has learned.
It was also reported that the Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe, has issued an ultimatum for the suspected stolen cash to be returned.
The stolen amount is thought to be N20 million, according to a close aide to the deputy governor who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The event, which happened just before Christmas, is said to have included two security aides and a Protocol Officer in the deputy governor’s office.
The protocol officer and the security assistants are suspected of conspiring to take the money.
According to the close aide, who did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to talk on the topic, the trio, whose names are being suppressed, allegedly stole the money and dispersed it among themselves.
According to him, the majority of the money went to security aides.
According to the assistant, the security aides purchased a vehicle and a motorcycle, while the protocol officer spent his part, N3.5 million, on a property.
The allegedly stolen monies, claimed to be in foreign currency, were to foreign investors interested in lithium mining in Nasarawa State.
After a meeting with three firms involved in a mining rights dispute over sites in Nasarawa Local Government Area, the money was purportedly left in a bag at the deputy governor’s office.
According to the insider, the reason for leaving the money at the deputy governor’s office after the meeting was to set him up.
“I think the money was left in the deputy governor’s office to set him up and indict him in a bribery scandal in order to rubbish his image for refusing to compromise or do their bidding,” the source said.
The source further disclosed that, upon discovering the alleged theft, Akabe initiated an independent investigation, which reportedly confirmed the involvement of the three persons.
The suspects have allegedly confessed to the crime, detailing how the stolen money was divided among them.
The deputy governor has since given the suspects an ultimatum to return the stolen funds in dollars, with the intention of returning it to the rightful owner, believed to be the foreign investors in the Lithium mining project.
The matter is currently under the purview of concerned security authorities.
The two security aides implicated in the incident are affiliated with the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).