Activist and politician, Mrs. Najatu Mohammed, has accused Mr. Babagana Kingibe, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, of bribing an online publication, thepolitico.com.ng, launder their image. She made the accusation in a conversation with SaharaReporters. Buhari as Chairperson of the Governing Council of the Federal University, Dutse, was referring to the scandal that accompanied the disclosure by the former Acting Director-General of the NIA, Mr. Mohammed Dauda, that he stopped Messrs. Kingibe, Abubakar and Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President, from stealing the agency’s $44 million.
Early this week, thepolitico.com.ng had published a fawning article on the NIA DG, accusing Mr. Dauda and media outlets that reported the story on the attempted heist by the Kingibe gang of lying. The article was an attempt to burnish the image of Mr. Kingibe and others by presenting Mr. Dauda as the villain.
“Let's us also look at the article, The media, NIA and The Truth, from thepolitico.com.ng. The magazine went online to launder the image of their paymasters by manufacturing falsehood that does not make sense. The outfit only succeeded in ridiculing itself by its unprofessional and unethical conduct of media prostitution, treachery, and blackmail, which can only appeal to gullible readers or those involved in the same game,” she said.
Mrs. Mohammed recalled that a panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was set up to investigate the scandal that arose from the infamous Ikoyi apartment cash scandal. She noted that the report of the panel, which probed the tenure of former NIA DG, Mr. Ayodele Oke, has been swept under the carpet.
Another one, the Kingibe-headed Presidential Review Panel (PRP), was raised. The panel had, as its secretary, Mr. Abubakar, who was the former SGF’s Personal Assistant while serving in Darfur, Sudan.
The Kingibe-headed panel, noted Mrs. Mohammed, recommended that for an officer to qualify as NIA DG, he has to be a serving officer not below the rank of a director. Mr. Abubakar retired as a deputy director, implying that he was ineligible to head the agency. It also implies that those above him in the agency must be retired.
“Currently, there are five directors who must be retired from service, following the appointment of Mr. Abubakar, who retired five years ago as a deputy director. Records showed that the current DG failed promotion exams to the rank of Director three consecutive times, which led to his untimely retirement. It is also on record that Mr. Kingibe made several financial demands from the former Acting DG, including thousands of dollars for his girlfriend,” said Mrs. Mohammed.
She added that the former SGF was grilled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the House of Representatives over the bordering on these allegations, adding that the EFCC and the House did not release the report of their findings before Mr. Dauda was dismissed from service.
She stated that every Nigerian must demand to know why Mr. Dauda dismissed from service.
“What has he done to warrant outright dismissal? Was the $44million in question stolen or pilfered? The answer is no. The funds were in fact evacuated to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for protection and safe custody against the prying eyes of those individuals hell-bent on looting it. The President was adequately briefed on this development by the NSA. Mr. Dauda, who was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, was dismissed while Mr. Oke, who was found guilty of embezzlement of public funds only got his job terminated and he is still occupying the official residence,” she said.
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