The House of Representatives at its resumption from its Christmas recess on Tuesday, 16th January 2017 mandated its Committee on National Security and Intelligence to investigate the alleged carting of $44 million from the National Intelligence Agency’s (NIA) vault. The said Committee has also been directed to investigate the nationality and citizenship of the new Director-General appointed to head the agency.
Presenting the motion on the floor of the House, Hon. Douye Diri (PDP: Bayelsa) noted that President Buhari had approved the appointment of a new Director General in the person of retired career foreign service officer Ahmed Rufia Abubakar after the removal of Mr. Ayo Oke over corruption allegations. However, he expressed concern that the identity, nationality, citizenship and competency of the new DG had become a subject of public speculation and controversy requiring its investigation.
He also expressed dismay over the alleged carting away of $44 million cash in the Agency’s vault in Abuja only two days after the appointment of the new DG. He stated that this was worrisome as the country was yet to recover from the infamous Ikoyigate scandal involving $43.4 million and 27,800 pounds; the report of which was yet to be made public.
Lastly, he was of the view that the controversy over the appointment of the DG of NIA and the cash scandal painted poor pictures of Nigeria’s security and diminished the reputation of the NIA in the eyes of the Nigerian public and the international community. He called on the House of Representatives to take action on the matter.
