Ikoyi $43m: Suspended NIA DG, NSA, CBN Gov, EFCC boss shun Reps’ invitation

The last may not have been heard about the about $43.4 million, 27.800 pounds and N23.2 million found in an apartment at Osborne Towers in lkoyi, Lagos, as the major characters involved in the probe of the source of the money, on Tuesday, shunned the House of Representatives committee on National Security and Intelligence probing the mystery.

Those who shunned the committee include the suspended Director General of NIA, Professor Ayo Oke,  the National Security Adviser to the President, Babagana Monguno, the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC),  Ibrahim Magu, and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria,  Mr Godwin Emefiele.

However, the committee chaired by Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji up till today to appear before it.

The committee lamented that it was very shameful that the incidence was happening at a time when the Federal Government was fighting corruption to a stand still as nobody has come out clearly to claim true ownership of the money.

The committee members in their contributions expressed displeasure over the absence of the absence of the  invitees without communicating ahead to the committee and resolved to issue fresh summon to all of them to enable the committee complete its assignment on time, saying that a week out of the two weeks giving to its had elapsed.

The operatives of the EFCC had last month uncovered local and foreign currencies totalling about $43.4 million, 27.800 pounds and N23.2 million.

This came just as a member of the House, Hon. Wole Oke, representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun state called for caution in handling the probe since it bothered on the nation’s security.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Hon. Oke drew the attention of the committee to a three man panel constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari and chaired by Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo and the general public to the sensitivity of the matter, so as not to expose the nation’s security to the outside world.

According to him, “I wish to draw the attention of  the investigative committee and the general public to the sensitive nature of above investigation, particularly because it bothers on our National Security. We must take note of the fact that the activities of the NIA relates primarily to handling Nigeria’s foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence operations.

“This therefore requires that the investigative hearing, its reports, findings and recommendations should be treated with utmost confidentiality. This will reduce or totally eliminate that risks of inadvertently revealing highly classified national security information to the public, foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence agents within and outside Nigeria which could significantly hurt  our National Security.

“We must always avert our minds to the sacred provisions of Section 45(1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), which treats interest of defence, public safety and public order  with utmost primacy. We must in the course of pushing a good cause not inflict self damage our National Security interest.

“I must commend the Federal Government of Nigeria on the successes it has recorded in the fight against corruption and the resolve with which it is handling anti grant war. I must equally commend the National Assembly for the complementary role it has played so far in this regard”,he stated.