A combined team of security officers from the Lagos Airport Police Command, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has apprehended a senior official of a bank at the General Aviation Terminal of the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos after she was found in possession of $3.1 million, suspected to be laundered funds.
The case has been transferred to Abuja to unravel the motive behind the alleged transfer of such huge amount of money without authorised fund transfer documents from the bank.
The suspect, a Deputy General Manager with the bank was arrested when she tried to board Arik Abuja-bound flight. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Airport Police Command, Mr. Ayuba Pam, confirmed the arrest of the bank official. Investigation by the street journal publisher reveals that the money found on the woman had been traced to a governor from one of the oil-rich states in the Niger Delta.
Police sources said the sum was being transferred on behalf of the governor, but security operatives who questioned the banker said that she maintained that she was handling the cash on behalf of the bank even though she was without any authorisation document. The husband of the bank chief is said to be a Special Assistant to the governor on utilities and has helped to secure the government´s account with the bank.