Revealed: All You Need to Know About the NIA $289 Million Covert Projects Controversy

As Nigerians struggle hard to understand the logic behind the NIA stashing money in
a building for its covert operations, a new report has given detailed analysis into the
development.

Perhaps the most difficult thing Nigerians are struggling to come to terms with about the recovered N13 billion is the fact that the
money actually belonged to the National Intelligence Agency —and for covert operations.

As PREMIUM TIMES reported on April 14, two days after the anti-graft EFCC announced the
recovery of the cash haul, the NIA Director- General, Ayodele Oke, had claimed ownership of the funds on behalf of his agency, although, he didn’t disclose what it was meant for.

This newspaper later published excerpts of letters between Mr. Oke and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, which clarified uncertainties over whether the NSA, and by extension President Muhammadu
Buhari, knew about the operation
beforehand.

This revelation counters widespread speculation that the money might be part of
unspent campaign funds from 2015 elections.

A three-man investigative panel set up by Mr. Buhari to unravel other crucial questions
about the operation was slated to submit its report last Monday. But that didn’t happen because the President left Nigeria on Sunday
for a follow-up of his ongoing medical treatment.

The constitution of the panel, led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, also compounded Nigerians’ curiosity as they wondered why
the administration decided to probe an operation its key officials had prior knowledge of.

The national security dimension of the controversy also makes it even dicier.

Hence, PREMIUM TIMES decided to construct a blow-by-blow account of the NIA’s $289million covert operations:
• 2013-2014: The NIA proposed upgrade to its operation in order to bring it up to speed
with modern day intelligence gathering techniques.

The upgrade was first proposed by Olaniyi Oladeji, Mr. Oke’s immediate past predecessor in the NIA. Mr. Oke took over the project after Mr. Jonathan appointed him
on November 7, 2013.

He continued working out the modalities for the project before eventually submitting the
final proposal to Mr. Jonathan in February 2015.

• February 14, 2015: Mr. Oke wrote a memo —Reference Number: T/S.8/5/Vol. 16— to
the former President Goodluck Jonathan titled: National Intelligence Agency Critical
Security and Infrastructure Requirement.

Mr. Oke requested for $289, 202, 382 to “upgrade and professionalise agency
operations” in order to “engender an effective clandestine communication systems central to the working of an intelligence service”.

The NIA DG listed 12 high-level security projects that would run from 2015 to 2018.

• February 16, 2015: Mr. Jonathan granted approval for the projects.
In documents seen by this newspaper, Mr. Jonathan asked the Minister of Petroleum
Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to release the requested sum to the NIA via a presidential directive dispatched by Matt
Aikhionbare, Mr. Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant (Administration).
A copy of the directive, with reference number: PRES/88-3/MPR/782, was sent to
Mr. Oke’s office.
A few weeks later, the NIA received the huge cash from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The security agency then began several covert and overt projects at strategic locations across the country.
PREMIUM TIMES has withheld details of the projects for security reasons.

• January 2016: The NIA gave progress reports on the projects and a detailed breakdown of its expenses to date in a letter to NSA Monguno.

The breakdown included the total amount approved to the agency, how much had been paid to contractors for ongoing
projects, the total cash at hand and the balance in the bank. The breakdown was rendered in U.S. dollars.

Mr. Oke also told Mr. Monguno that his agency was willing to avail the NSA with audited reports of the foreign intelligence
office’s expenses if utmost secrecy can be guaranteed.
Mr. Oke said this would prevent the possibility of blowing the cover of its operations if the information was provided
to other officials outside the NSA or NIA.

“The NIA is keen to render an account of expenditures in the overarching interest of
accountability and stewardship,” Mr.Oke said.