The Lagos State Government on Wednesday denied withholding the ₦25 million donated by kind-hearted Nigerians from Mary Daniel, the Oshodi amputee who formerly hawks water.
Reports making rounds on social media on Wednesday night suggested that the state had seized the donation from Daniel, after discovering her heart-moving tale was a sham to fleece Nigerians of their hard-earned money.

It was also rumoured that the mother-of-one lied about losing her leg in an accident that killed all passengers, including her parents when she was a teenager.

In an exclusive interview with WuzupNigeria, the Special Adviser in charge of Civic Engagement to the Lagos State Governor, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, on Wednesday night disclosed that the state did not seize the donation from Daniel as being speculated.

According to Adebowale, there was no red flag that warranted or necessitated such action.

The governor’s aide stated that the ₦25m donation is still in the amputee’s private account but the account has been placed on hold “with her consent… so that nobody can pull her money out.”

In her explanation, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration did not also hand her over to the NGO and social worker on suspicious grounds.

She noted that the move was to fulfil a promise the state made to her with regards to safety and security.

“When this girl came to me on April 13, it called for safety and security because people had donated N14 million thus far into her account and the people that brought her from Oshodi felt that somebody might hurt her or injure her or take the ATM card from her and probably kill her,” she said.

Adebowale added that the NGO and social worker from the Ministry of Youths and Social Services would assist her in planning her life and financial spending.

She also added that the 27-year-old has been given a legal counsel to further shield her from suspected fraudsters in the course of engaging in any business activity of her desire.

“They want Lagos State to protect her. That was why they brought her to my office. I promised I will hand her over to an NGO that would help her to get an apartment; she said she wanted to start a business and get her place to stay in Lagos State, the ministry of youth and social services who would give her a caseworker and also get a lawyer who can help her so that nobody can dupe her of her money. Those were the promises made to her on April 13th.

“And today (Wednesday), the promises were being kept, I handed her to the Ministry of Justice that gave her the NGO and also a lawyer to help her make sure everything is ok legally. Also, somebody from the Ministry of Youths and Social Services, a caseworker, to assist her.

“The night she came, with her consent, we put a hold on her bank account so that nobody can access the account and pull her money out.

“Now that she has been handed over to youths and services caseworker and the NGO, they can now sit down with her and help her plan her life in Lagos State, to get a place to stay and to start a business.”

Speaking further with WuzupNigeria, the aide disclosed that Daniel would be given a prosthetic leg with the help of a Non-Governmental Organisation, adding that Daniel was advised to keep the promises she made to Lagosians about starting a business and life in the state.

“An NGO came last week to measure her for the artificial leg, I spoke with them this evening and they are still going to go ahead and give her the artificial leg. But what we said is that that she should use the money in Lagos State for what she promised Lagosians that she would use the money for.

“I don’t know what other story anybody else is putting out, that wasn’t the story that I gave them. This is the story that I gave to Punch and others.”

Recall that the social media was agog last night with speculations suggesting that the State has handed Daniel over to Kogi leaders, who attested that her father was alive.

While Adebowale failed to authenticate that part of the story, she explained the role of the monarch, adding that he was a mutual friend of Daniel.

“So a guy, one Yakubu Sanni who said he’s the head (King) of the Kogi people in Lagos State, obviously they know each other before the girl was brought to me. So the man came, because she doesn’t have any shelter I Lagos State, I invited security people to come, so that they can see that when she was handed over to the man (Yakubu Sanni) that nothing is wrong with her, we protected her, she’s well and everything is ok with her, then I handed her to the man.

“Yes, there were some stories that she gave people a wrong impression about her parents but that is not for the state to dig into. What we promised her was safety and security which is what we provided for her and we handed her over to a social worker and NGO that would help her with how to manage her money.

“The man (Sanni) was there, the DPO was from Ikeja was there to make sure that we handed her over without any problem.

“Every other thing trending on social media, well, I don’t know maybe somebody found out something about her but like I said, that is not the business of the state.”

When asked to confirm if Daniel actually collected the donations under false pretence, she replied that she is not a legal counsel.

“I’m not a lawyer. She has a legal representation from the Ministry of Justice. That was why I brought them in. Let them now decide if she collected money under false pretence. Like I said, that is not for us to prosecute her on because she came to me for protection but if the ministry of Justice now feels that she collected money under false pretence, let them handle that,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos Police Command is yet to officially respond to the allegation of extortion levelled against the Oshodi amputee.

All efforts made by WuzupNigeria to reach the State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, proved abortive.

He didn’t pick his calls or respond to the SMS sent to him.

However, the command deputy spokesperson, Matilda Ngbaronye, told our correspondent that she cannot comment on any issue at the moment noting that “the PRO is the only one to give you answers for now.”

WuzupNigeria also made spirited attempts to reach the Lagos State Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, without success.