Police Arrest Guard in Abuja for Stealing N24m, Threatening Boss With Whistleblowing

The Abuja command of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has effected the arrest of a 40-year-old security guard for allegedly stealing foreign currencies worth N24m from his boss and threatening his boss with whistleblowing when he was found out.

 

Prior to his arrest, Alfred Andrew, a Bauchi state indigene, officially earned the sum of N25,000 for guarding the residence of Mr Benedict Emmanuel at the Gwarimpa Estate in Abuja.

 

Andrew however maintained a luxury apartment in town and used an iPhone 7 which was clearly beyond his means.

 

The security guard told newsmen that he had stumbled upon a stack of foreign currencies after randomly going through his principal’s belongings in the latter’s absence.

 

“That day, I was sweeping when I saw a key on the floor. I tried it on the padlock on my boss’ apartment and it opened. I went inside the house and was searching through his belongings when something fell on me from the top of his wardrobe.

 

“I then realised it was foreign currency. I climbed on a chair to see what was on the top of the wardrobe and noticed that there were currencies from different countries. They were so much. That was the first time I would see so much dollars. I have only seen such large amount in movies.

 

“I was tempted to take the money. Before, I had been hearing of whistle-blowers but I was not sure who to contact. I didn’t know who to report to. I didn’t have the number of the whistle-blowers (sic). I was scared. I didn’t know who to trust in Nigeria. I might tell someone and the person may turn things around against me.”

 

Andrew confessed that he regularly took some dollar notes and converted them to the Nigerian Naira before he decided to take a substantial sum which was converted to N24m.

 

Mr Emmanuel noticed the theft and ordered a search of Andrew’s apartment having suspected the latter might have bought his iPhone 7 with cash stolen from the house.

 

When a search revealed stolen foreign currencies in the guard’s apartment and the discovery of N24m in his account, Andrew threatened to expose his principal by reporting him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 

He was apprehended when Emmanuel informed the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team.

 

Punch reports that the security man also took the police to an apartment that he rented in town where expensive phones were recovered from his girlfriend.

 

Whistle-blowing is a federal government policy that promises up to 5 percent of recovered funds to persons who provide information that leads to the recovery of looted funds.

 

The EFCC has variously claimed that a number of recent cash discoveries were made after being tipped off by whistle-blowers. In April, the agency recovered the equivalent of about N50m in various currencies from an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos state following a tip-off.

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