Suspended NIA DG, Oke, says 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.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case, said, “The DG of the NIA has met with Vice-President Osinbajo and will submit documents pertaining to the transaction.

“The DG admitted on record that the transaction was authorised by former President Jonathan and Col. Sambo Dasuki, and as such, was simply following orders from the commander-in-chief. He will submit memos and other documents as evidence.”

Explaining how the transaction took place, the source said a memo was raised by the National Petroleum Investment Management Service on February 25, 2015, two weeks after the postponement of the presidential election for ‘security’ reasons, based on Dasuki’s advice.

According to the memo, NAPIMS asked the CBN to release $289,202,382 to the NIA in cash.

The money was received by the NIA and kept in a safe house.

When asked why President Muhammadu Buhari was not briefed on the existence of the cash, the source said, “The DG NIA informed top security people in the government of the existence of the cash.

“Specifically in January 2016, a letter was written by the DG NIA to the NSA, Babagana Moguno, on the existence of the cash. The memo exists and will also be submitted to the panel.”

It was gathered that one of the posers the NIA would solve was why the apartment, where the money was kept, was registered in the name of the wife of the DG, Mrs. Folasade Oke.

“One question the suspended NIA boss must answer when he meets with the panel is why the apartment used for an official matter was registered in his wife’s name,” the top government source said.

Efforts to get the NNPC through the Group General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Ndu Ughamadu, were not successful as his mobile indicated that it was not reachable.

A detailed text message was sent to him on the matter, but he had yet to respond as of the time of filing this report on Thursday.

NAPIMS is a subsidiary of the NNPC.

Attempts to get comments from the CBN were also not successful as repeated calls made to the acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr Isaac Okorafor, did not connect while a text message sent to him on the issue had yet to be responded to as of press time on Thursday