The slush $43m cash found in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos state, has generated a buzz between the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) the Punch reports.
This follows the investigation of NIA DG Ayodele Oke by a committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
According to someone who is close to the investigations, Oke hid the over $43m from President Muhammadu Buhari and Monguno in a private apartment. The source said Oke also claimed he'd mentioned the money to NSA Babangana Moguno twice, a claim which was immediately refuted by the office of the later.
“The Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement, in the course of its assignment, came across an information that the NIA received a huge sum of money in early 2015 from the former president (Goodluck Jonathan).
“Based on that, the NSA carried out a preliminary investigation, during which the agency claimed the money was released for some projects aimed at commencing the NIA’s 30th anniversary. That was in January 2017,” the top government source said.
The first suspicion of a potential abuse, according to the source, was noticed at this stage, especially considering the amount of money involved and the purposes stated.
“This was how the NSA and the presidency learnt of the existence of such funds. We were not told by anyone in NIA until the committee saw something, and raised a red flag,” the source said.
He added that when Oke was compelled to explain what was happening, “he still did not inform anyone any Federal Government official or the Presidency that he kept $43m cash out of the said funds at a private apartment anywhere in Lagos or any part of the country.”
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