VP’s probe panel’ll hold closed sessions

By Enyeribe Ejiogu and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye

Fresh information on the N13 billion (in naira, US dollars and pound sterling) cash recovered from an apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos,  emerged yesterday, and effectively threw out of the window claims that the funds were intended to be used to compromise the 2015 general elections.
Sunday Sun learnt that the funds were released to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) after the election and were moved to the Ikoyi apartment in December 2015, when the current administration had assumed office.
When news of the discovery of the cash by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission broke, sources close to the NIA had revealed that the money belonged to the agency, stating that former president Goodluck Jonathan, approved the release of the funds for covert operations.
They had further said that the apartment where the money was kept was a safe house of the NIA.
Contrary to reports in online and some traditional media, a security source maintained that the money had nothing to do with the 2015 general elections, and stressed that “the money was moved to the apartment in December 2015.”
According to the source, no intelligence agency would publish details of its covert operations as some ill-informed people that had commented on the issue wanted the agency to do.
“You don’t give details of covert operations to the public. The NIA and the Department of State Services (DSS) are semi-autonomous agencies, but consistent with global practice the NIA Director General briefs the president and the National Security Adviser (NSA) about covert operations on a need-to-know basis.”
In matters pertaining to Nigeria’s external intelligence, NIA is to the country what the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is to the United States and MOSSAD is to Israel.
The source said: “Showing money discovered openly speaks volumes about us. Our naira should not be displayed openly in that manner, let alone foreign currencies. Have you ever seen such anywhere in the world?”
The source dismissed as nonsensical most of the un-informed comments made by members of the public about the operations of NIA, saying that only the ex-DGs of NIA and the DSS were competent to give information or insight on the work of the agencies because they knew the security implications of divulging information.
Following the suspension of the Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, President Muhammadu Buhari set up a three-man committee to investigate the discovery of the N13 billion cash. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is heading the committee, which has the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami and National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno as members.
As the Osinbajo Committee geared up for its assignment, it has already written to Oke, asking him to provide certain documents that would aid the speedy conduct of the investigation. In its letter to Oke inviting him to appear before it tomorrow, the committee stated that he should furnish documents detailing the following items: the funds appropriated in the last two years; allocation of special funds if given; approvals for funds and by who; expenditures; withdrawals from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) if any; covert operations and for what purposes; completed and non-completed projects; list of contracts awarded; ongoing projects; and operation of safe houses.
Meanwhile, the presidential committee probing allegations against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the Director-General of the NIA, Ayo Oke has announced that it would hold closed sessions, to take evidence from relevant officials and private individuals.
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande‎, said in a statement that the purpose of holding the closed sessions is to avoid speculations and allow for full disclosures as well as quicken the pace of proceedings.
He said that the panel would investigate allegations of violations of legal and due process made against Lawal and Oke.
“The panel which is expected to submit its report to the President at the expiration of the 14-day deadline, will conduct its work with utmost diligence and without fear or favour,” Akande said. President Buhari had last Wednesday suspended Lawal and ordered an investigation into the allegations made against him in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE).
His suspension from office will last pending the outcome of the investigations.
The Senate last December indicted RholeVision EngineeringLimited, a company allegedly owned by the SGF for benefiting from inflated and phantom contracts awarded by the Presidential Initiative for the North East, PINE, some of which were not executed. The firm allegedly got a contract worth over N200 million to clear grass in a camp for Internally Displaced Persons.