OKOOO......EFCC Takes Over NIA's Bank Accounts After Over N13billion Found Inside a House in Ikoyi

Men of the EFCC

hehehehehe......... Following the shocking discovery of huge sums of money in a house in Ikoyi allegedly belonging to the NIA, the EFCC has been ordered to take charge of bank accounts belonging to the intelligence body.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday took charge of bank accounts operated by Nigeria’s foreign intelligence service, the National Intelligence Agency, according to Sahara Reporters.

 

This is coming after the EFCC made a shocking discovery last month of about N13 billion hidden in a Lagos apartment. The cash – comprising $43.5 million, £27,800 and N23.2 million hidden inside Apartment 7B at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi – was uncovered by operatives of the EFCC on April 12.

 

The director general of the NIA, Ayodele Oke, admitted to PREMIUM TIMES the money belonged to his agency, and was later suspended from office.

 

Mr. Oke said the money was meant for multiple “covert projects” across the country. This newspaper published excerpts of letters between Mr. Oke and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, which showed the NSA knew about the operation beforehand. The letters also showed President Muhammadu Buhari was informed by the NSA.

 

Security sources however told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that operatives of the anti-graft agency compelled the director of Finance and Administration of the NIA to hand over the accounts of the beleaguered agency to an Army officer attached to the Office of the National Security Adviser.

 

The EFCC designated Jaafaru Mohammed, a brigadier general in the Nigerian Army, to assume the position of the Director of Finance of the NIA and commence a holistic audit of the agency’s finances.

 

The development was the climax of a week-long prying operation which saw detectives from the anti-graft agency grill four senior officials of the NIA.

 

PREMIUM TIMES has withheld the names of all the NIA personnel in order not to compromise their identities.

 

Several sources told this newspaper that last week, the NSA made at least two attempts to impose Mr. Mohammed on the NIA as its new Director of Finance, but officials of the agency blocked him from resuming each time.

 

Following the rejection of Mr. Mohammed, the EFCC invited NIA’s Director of Finance and Administration and two officials from the same account department, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The officials were later released after hours of questioning.

 

Anti-graft operatives also visited the NIA Headquarters to interrogate some officials during the week, our sources said.

 

On Friday, the EFCC invited NIA’s Director of Finance and Administration and detained him for several hours. Later, anti-graft detectives took him back to the NIA Headquarters where he was compelled to hand over to Mr. Mohammed, PREMIUM TIMES understands.