NIA Claims Ownership of Cash Found in Lagos Apartment – The Will

 

The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is claiming ownership of the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 seized Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from Osborne Towers, a luxury residential complex in Ikoyi, Lagos, owned by Mr. Adamu Muazu, a former governor of Bauchi state and ex-National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), THEWILL has gathered exclusively. 

The NIA is the government security agency tasked with overseeing foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations in Nigeria.

A ranking government official with knowledge of the latest twist to the seizure confirmed to THEWILL that NIA Director General, Ambassador Ayodele Oke, has been in touch in EFCC’s boss, Ibrahim Magu, to express his displeasure over the raid at the apartment used as one of NIA’s safe houses in Lagos for its clandestine operations.

The official said Magu, whose confirmation as substantive chairman of the agency has been frustrated by the DSS and the Senate, has been under pressure to show President Muhammadu Buhari the billions of naira he told the president during a meeting that the EFCC had recovered under his leadership. “So he is on a reckless search for monies hence all these strings of raids and seizures within the last one week,” the source who asked not be identified said.

“I can authoritatively tell you that money belongs to the NIA. The DG has come forward to claim it and has informed my office of the development. He is furious with Magu for his agency’s recklessness and for compromising their operations,” the official told THEWILL.

However, the National Intelligence Agency of Nigeria (NIA) has denied the report.

A top NIA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told SaharaReporters that the agency was in no way tied to the scandalous amount discovered in an apartment that was built by a former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Muazu.

According to the source, the NIA never claimed ownership of the funds, contrary to the assertion made by an online paper.