The over $250,000 (about N40 million) which last month was reportedly missing from the bedroom of Governor Godswill Akpabio at the Akwa Ibom state governor’s lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, has been recovered intact.
The news of the missing mint-fresh dollars was first reported by Saharareporters which said it was a left-over from a stash of dollars kept by the governor in his bedroom but which suddenly disappeared on the night he attended a dinner with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Aso Rock Villa a fortnight ago.
News of the missing money was never publicly confirmed by the governor or any of his representatives but it was learnt that three stewards working at the lodge, were dismissed on suspicions that they helped themselves to the bundles of dollars.
However, it was learnt that the missing money was recovered a week after by an electrician invited to carry out minor repairs on one of the air conditioners inside the governor’s bedroom at the lodge.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, the culprit was actually one of the drivers attached to the office of the governor’s Special Representative in Abuja, who is the caretaker of the lodge.
The driver had reportedly sneaked into Akpabio’s room and removed the bundles from where they were kept but due to the tight security around that section of the lodge, he neatly tucked the money inside the compartment of the air conditioner till a more convenient time when he would be able to smuggle it out unnoticed.
According to officials at the governor’s lodge, a week after the money was declared missing, it was observed that one of the air conditioners in the governor’s bedroom appeared to have developed fault.
The driver behind the missing money, coincidentally, was detailed to fetch an electrician to fix the malfunctioning AC ahead of the governor’s next visit.
The electrician was called based on his previous working experience at the lodge.
The officials stated that while driving the electrician to the lodge, the culprit confessed to the workman that he had left “something” valuable inside the air conditioner which he expected him to retrieve for him with promise of a huge reward if he pulled it off.
However, because of the extra security arrangement in place around the lodge following the incident of the missing dollars, it was difficult for the electrician to deliver on his promise as one of the security operatives working at the lodge was promptly assigned to supervise the repairs.
On opening the air conditioner for repairs, the electrician was reportedly confronted with a carefully wrapped parcel inside the system in confirmation of what the driver had earlier told him.
The electrician was said to have immediately called the attention of the security operative detailed to monitor his work and on opening the parcel, it was discovered that bundles of the missing money were actually found inside.
Scared that he may be roped in by the discovery, the electrician reportedly confessed to the operative about what transpired between him and the driver on their way to the lodge.
The money was promptly handed over to the governor’s aide, who on hearing the good news, ordered that the electrician be rewarded with N1million cash while the dismissed stewards were to be recalled immediately; although they were redeployed to other assignments.
The fate of the driver remained uncertain as at the time of this report.
