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IKOYIGATE: NIA DG Oke in more trouble

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IKOYIGATE: NIA DG Oke in more trouble

The Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Ambassador Ayodele Oke, seems to be sinking deeper into troubled waters over the $43 million and other cash found at an apartment in a flat in Ikoyi.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had unearthed the huge find running into about N18 billion when it stormed a flat on Osborne Towers, Ikoyi.

The NIA later said the cash was its, and that it was released to the agency by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan for certain covert operations abroad.

Sequel to this President Muhammadu Buhari set up a three-man panel to look into the finding, as well as probe allegations of corruption against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal.

Read also: Despite return of cash, document, police insist Goje risks being arrested

The panel chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo also has the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno as members.

Though Amb Oke had claimed he had informed the NSA Mongunu of the existence of the cash, feelers from the Osinbajo panel suggests this may not be entirely true.

According to sources, contrary to the impression created by Oke that the NSA was duly informed, it was gathered that the existence of the cash came to light during the work of the presidential committee that audited the Defence Equipment Procurement in the Armed Forces.

Even at that, Oke never officially informed anyone that the huge sum was being kept in a private residence in Lagos.

The committee was said to have discovered that payments running into about $289million had been made from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the NIA and raised questions, drawing the attention of the NSA to the funds.

A top official revealed further, that what, “When the suspended DG of the NIA discovered that the Committee was raising questions and to forestall the NSA from “blowing the cover,” he then gave his first report to the NSA on the existence of such funds and warned that the Committee’s job does not cover the activities or the spending of the NIA”.

According to him, “The NSA carried out a preliminary investigation during which the NIA claimed the money was released for some projects aimed at commencing the Agency’s 30th anniversary, which was in January 2017.

“This was how the NSA and the Presidency got to know about the cash for the first time and not that the embattled NIA boss ever told anyone about it. It was at that point that the audit committee raised by the Presidency raised the red flag. When the NIA boss was compelled to explain what was happening.

“He still did not inform anyone in the Federal Government or presidency that he kept $43m of the said funds in cash in a private apartment anywhere in Lagos or any part of the country.

“This is the issue: the NSA was not told that NIA had this lump cash stashed away in the place it was eventually discovered by EFCC. It was also learnt that the projects for which the former President approved the funds totalling $289m included two in Lagos whose cost were put at about $28m, which is way less than the $43m cash found in the Ikoyi apartment.

“It is completely untenable to stash away agency money in a private apartment instead of keeping it with the CBN or inside the NIA head office where the money would be well-secured and its disbursement well protected,” a top security official was quoted as saying.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that during his time with the panel, Oke presented heaps of documents to buttress his claim that his hands were clean, and that he had no ill motives over the cash.

He was quoted to have said, “I did my best, I leave the rest to God”.

In efforts to prove its case, the NIA had earlier issued a statement saying, “We would appreciate if the media can correct the allegations that the NSA was not briefed. Please find below some details:
“The first briefing was April 2015 to the President on the state of affairs of the agency. The funds were itemised as $289m intervention fund approved and released to the agency by the (Goodluck) Jonathan administration in November 2014.

“The second briefing was in January 2016; in a memo to the NSA, he gave more details of the funds.

“Based on the second briefing (memo) report, the NSA set up an audit team, headed by a brigadier general, which inspected the projects and submitted a report in February 2016.

“The NSA wrote back to the DG, NIA on May 17, 2016, stating that the detailed report of NIA’s projects and exercises had been presented to the President and the President was pleased with their work.”

Although the NIA claims the Ikoyi resident was a safe house, a known practice in the intelligence world, the Osinbajo panel is to among others, determine the propriety of Oke stashing away such huge funds there, rather than at the CBN, or its offices which would have been far safer.

The panel is to submit its report and findings to President Buhari this week.

 

 

 

 

 

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0 Comments

  1. seyi jelili

    April 30, 2017 at 10:53 am

    I trust my vice president panel, he won’t take things lightly with them. And he will dig deep in to the matter, we are waiting for next week report to Buhari.

    • Agbor Chris

      April 30, 2017 at 3:57 pm

      Osinbajo can always be trusted, but he’s still subjected to Buhari’s decision, if he comes out with negatives report about Oke and Bachir and Buhari wants positive, Osinbajo will have to do that.

  2. JOHNSON PETER

    April 30, 2017 at 11:51 am

    I am sure the outcome of this report will be that, Bachir Lawal will be prosecuted and the NIA DG. Both of them can’t continue with their position again, they are corrupt.

    • Anita Kingsley

      April 30, 2017 at 3:55 pm

      Don’t be too quick to determine their fate, Buhari cannot be trusted, remember Magu is still the EFCC chairman despite criticisms from all quarters of government. If Buhari still wants both of them to stay in power, the panel will only find means of making nigerians think they kept the money for positive reasons.

  3. Balarabe musa

    April 30, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    Jonathan ought to be invited in this matter to come prove he was the one who approve the money for NIA, the man has so many questions to answer.

    • yanju omotodun

      April 30, 2017 at 1:08 pm

      You are silly, is it osinbajo that will invite him or how? Impossibilities.

      • Afolabi

        May 1, 2017 at 4:12 am

        Sorry my brother. The guy mistakenly mentioned the name of if god. It is a mistake. Pele, foolish man

        • Dele Morgan Osakwe

          May 1, 2017 at 12:55 pm

          But U mumu ooooo

  4. Animashaun Ayodeji

    April 30, 2017 at 3:49 pm

    There’s nothing Oke can say to cleanse himself, it is very wrong to keep federal government’s money in a private resident. No matter how secure the house is, it is wrong.

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