Saraki’s N125m house: EFCC to grill Melaye, AMMC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will invite Dino Melaye, chairman senate committee on FCT, for questioning over an “invisible” N125 million building purportedly rented for the senate president.

The commission will also invite officials of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) for interrogation.

The property is said to be located at Plot 973, Mban Close, off Pope John Paul Street, Maitama, Abuja, rented at N50 million per year on a two-year tenancy, with fees and VAT bringing the total cost to N125 million.

But the building could not be traced by TheCable after several searches.

The AMMC – in league with Melaye’s committee – rented the property from Legendark Consultants for the senate president.

The senate president, who lives in his own house at Lake Chad Crescent, Maitama, has since denied knowledge of the deal.

TheCable had also reported that a second house purportedly rented for Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu at Plot 22, Vaal Street, off Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja, is unoccupied.

Ekweremadu still lives at his personal residence at the Apo Legislative Quarters, and his media aide, Uche Anichukwu, said he is not aware of the property.

Curiously, the key players in the affair refused to pick up calls or reply to SMS from the press. However, an official of the EFCC has told newsmen that the agency will invite the principal actors for questioning “anytime from now”.

Officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), which superintends the AMMC, have confirmed that payment was actually made for the property.

But Melaye has described the documents as “made in Taiwan”.