Suspended NIA DG, Oke, admits Jonathan ordered release of $289m

The suspended Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ayodele Oke, has met with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, where he admitted that his agency received the sum of $289,202,382 on the orders of former President Goodluck Jonathan in February 2015.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, ordered the suspension of Oke over the role of the NIA in the ownership of $43m (about N13bn) and other currencies uncovered in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Buhari also ordered the suspension of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, in connection with his indictment for contract fraud by a Senate ad hoc committee on mounting humanitarian crisis in the North-East.

A top government source, on Thursday, confided in one of our correspondents that the Osinbajo-led committee had directed Oke to submit documents to back his claim.

It was learnt that the suspended NIA boss had also gathered documents which would be formally submitted to the panel showing that the transaction was approved by Jonathan through the embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

It was learnt that the transaction was known as an intervention fund for national security or special services with the aim of fighting insurgency during the six weeks period between February 14, when the Presidential/National Assembly elections were postponed and March 28, when the polls were held.

However, operatives of the EFCC are said to be working on the theory that the money was meant for the prosecution of the 2015 general elections.

Punch, April 21, 2017

 

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