It has emerged that President Muhammadu Buhari sacked the head of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Chief this week because the 43 million dollar found in a Lagos apartment allegedly belonged to his wife, Mrs Fola Shade Oke.
Mrs Oke was also traced as the owner of the apartment where the money was found.
Alaba Yusuf, a Member of President Buhari’s Media and Communications Bureau told Alfred Ocansey host of Late Edition on 3FM 92.7 Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency’s wife was the woman who was known to be visiting the plush 7th-floor Lagos apartment dressed as a mad woman each time she arrived around the apartment.
The seeming “mad lady” at the center is usually seen around to collect the money in “Ghana Must Go” bags from the luxury apartment at Ikoye.
Although he could not confirm of Mrs Oke has been arrested, he noted that the names and addresses of tenants numbering about 90 and the owners indicated that the flat belong to the wife of Ambasador Oke, the suspended Spy Chief.
Yusuf wondered why such huge amount is not kept in NIA account but in his wife’s apartment and moreso, why that house was not listed but referred to just as “dash-dash”
“He was sacked purely because it emerged during investigations that the women at the center of all this is his wife who owns the flat where the money was found; the very woman who usually came to the apartment dressed as a mad woman carrying “Ghana must go” bags and later load them with the cash and leave, now well-dressed and all made up.”
President Buhari on April 19, 2017 fired Babachir Lawal – Secretary General of the Federation (SGF) and Ambassador Oke who are expected to hand over to most senior officers in their respective offices for the two-week investigation period.
‘‘A three-man Committee comprising the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the National Security Adviser, headed by the Vice President, is to conduct both investigations. The Committee is to submit its report to the President within 14 days,” a statement from the Presidency confirmed.
Ambassador Oke is on record to have said that the 43 million dollar belonged to the NIA and was given to them to fight corruption by the previous administration under President Goodluck Jonathan.
Mr Yusuf explained to 3FM 92.7 that the find actually points at the extent of success of the Buhari administration’s “all-out fight against endemic corruption which seems to have permeated the Nigerian society.”
He was emphatic about the success of the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration saying, “monies found so far since the crusade started and the new strategy of the role of whistleblowers, monies retrieved so far is more than the usual budgets of the entire country.”
“It is sad that today in Nigeria; you can find money virtually everywhere. People are on the run and have abandoned huge monies everywhere including monies left at the Kaduna airport, forex bureau, soak-aways, lorry parks, cemeteries and individual homes. It is a clear sign that the fight against corruption has heated up and those involved can no longer stand, adding that, “whistle blowers who bring such persons or finds out are entitled to between two to five per cent of the money.”
He mentioned bilateral agreements with several governments including the British and Saudi governments to alert the Buhari administration of Nigerian owners of flats and properties in those countries.
Mr Yusuf denied the Nigerian government was deliberately planting monies at places and asking people to blow the whistle to show that it is at the top of the fight against corruption.
He said it was clear that the President was on top of the fight against corruption, “he is focused on keeping the country secured, tackling the recession and for fighting his own secretary to the federal government definitely shows courage.
by Gideon Sackitey | 3FM 92.7|3news.com