The federal government has made first payment to the whistleblower who helped the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to recover $43m, N23.2m and £27,800 (N13bn) from an Ikoyi apartment on April 12, 2017.
PUNCH reported that the whistle-blower travelled out of the country less than 24 hours after receiving part of the N421m reward.
He praised the government for finally honouring its agreement after eight months.
Galadima also joked that his client did not run mad after receiving the money as predicted by some government officials.
He, however, said his client had not been paid in full, adding that the federal government had promised to pay him the balance next year.
The lawyer said, “My client confirmed to me that he had received a credit alert from the Federal Government. He travelled out of the country this morning (Wednesday morning).
“He has been paid the first instalment but there were many tax deductions. Yes, we are happy. I will give you more details later but I can confirm now that he has received some money.
“As you can see, my client did not run mad as predicted by Prof. Itse Sagay.”
Galadima said the federal government’s decision to pay his client was an evidence that his client was the real whistle-blower out of the others that had been laying claim to the money.
The money, which was recovered from Flat 7B, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, led to the suspension and eventual sacking of the Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke.
The N13bn recovered from the Osborne Towers was said to have been part of the $289,202,382 the NIA received from the Central Bank of Nigeria in February 2015.
