Gov claims ownership of recovered $50M, gives Amaechi 7 days to return funds

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said the $50million found in a luxury apartment in Ikoyi belongs to the Rivers State Government.

In a statement signed by Simeon Nwakaudu, the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media, the governor has given the Federal Government an ultimatum of seven days to return the $43million dollars.

"We are giving them seven days to return our money. Otherwise, we would take legal action to recover our money. $43million will help us complete several projects. We need that money for projects", Wike said.

The governor also said that investigations by the Rivers State Government revealed that the money was proceed from the sale of gas turbines by the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

Wike said: "The money in question belongs to the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. We want to confirm that the houses in Ikoyi also belong to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

"If you recollect in 2015, we said that gas turbines built by Former Governor Peter Odili were sold to Sahara Energy, business partners of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi at $319million.

"That money was used to sponsor the All Progressives Congress for the 2015 general elections. From the date of sale of the gas turbines to May 29, 2015, the money depleted from $319million to $204,000.What was stashed at the Ikoyi residence was part of that fund".

Continuing, he said: "We have facts to prove that the said money belongs to the Rivers State Government. The Federal Government must return our money".

"As I speak to you, the Federal Government is so embarrassed that this has happened. All the stories that the money belongs to the NIA are fake," he said.

Governor Wike challenged the Federal Government to set up a panel of Inquiry, which will sit publicly to investigate the money, if it doubted the claim of the Rivers State Government.