By Bamidele Ademola-Olateju
When I wrote that Fani-Kayode might be right after all, it had no bearing to his rant about who owns the Ikoyi money. Fani-Kayode has written extensively about the power configuration in Nigeria and how it furthers underdevelopment and enriches a few. I care about Fani-Kayode only as a homegrown lunatic who one might find useful, when the stray lunatic comes visiting. Sane people do not fight lunatics. I hope I have made that clear.
Over the Easter holidays, I dug for information on the Ikoyi money. My sources insist neither the NIA nor Ayo Oke owns the money. I posted my update yesterday as I prepare to board the aircraft, back to my base. Some of my friends who read my update sent messages to me urging caution given the volatile nature of the case.
I want to thank you and let you know I appreciate your messages. I also want to assure you that I ALWAYS deploy advisory postures of caution in all my updates. I take myself seriously and I know the burden I bear knowing how people trust me and what I write. I don’t work in government but there are a lot of patriots who work in government and are unhappy about the wrong turn, our affairs has taken. These people pass information to people in public intellection like me, as well as others who are trained journalists. I do not view Nigeria from ethnic prism at all and I do noàt fear labels when I take on isaues. I will not hesitate to point out ethnic slants and call out ethnic chauvinists when need be.
A few hours ago, a friend who read my update convinced me of the NIA angle. I still have my doubts if NIA was made to own up to the money but here is what I have now and have cross checked. My friend connected me to an operative who gave me an account of what really happened. As it is, the Ikoyi money has lot of loose ends but the government may never tell us anything about it. They know, we will talk about it until another news overtakes it and it is forgotten!
The story will continue to unfold because of the murky nature of what the money was budgeted for and who the actors are. Overnight, I tried breaking the puzzle but I encountered a lot of gaps because of bad institutional processes, dizzying power play and succession politics. Magu may eventually be the fall guy again. What is wrong with that guy?
Was the whistleblower part of this unfolding story, concocted? Was it a Fable or a conspiracy? Three weeks ago, the EFCC chairman was taken on a tour of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). At the time, it was considered a friendly visit by everyone at the NIA. Oke was appointed by Jonathan, he could stay or go depending on how the Presidency sees him.
1. The Ikoyi money was known only to few people in the intelligence community.
2. The money was approved by President Jonathan for foreign operations by the NIA.
3. It was included in handover notes to the NSA and presidency.
4. The NSA has corroborated the Director General of the NIA.
How Magu got to know the location of the money is a mystery but certainly not from a stray guard or someone in Lagos who saw the “Haggard woman”. Those who want Oke’ s job, who knew about the money told Magu for their own agenda. Magu went in with cameras as part of his publicity drive, even when he was asked to exercise restraint.
I was made to understand that the project involved is top secret and that the Presidency has expressed confidence in the leadership and service delivery of the NIA because of the nature of the project.
Yes, Intelligence and covert operations costs money, but what operation costs that much? Analysts who are familiar with intelligence operations told me this morning that it is difficult to explain such budgets to ordinary people. They claim Intelligence Agencies worldwide conduct such high level expensive and top secret covert operations.
However, critical questions remain which the operative cannot answer but he promised to get back to me if he gets more information. The headquarters of NIA is a fortress. Nobody will know if that money was in the forests surrounding their headquarters. Why Lagos? Why Ikoyi? Why the house of the PDP chair? Why a private residence that is an apartment? Why was the money still there two years on? Knowing covert operations money can’t be retired as it is done by other agencies, would this money have been spent for the operations if undiscovered?
I understand the second tranche of the money will be paid soon. The outrage seems to be from the public alone on this issue and it is rightly deserved. We are all better off when people and institutions do their jobs with professionalism and give it the seriousness it deserves. This attention seeking, headline grabbing money busts serves no one interests. At the end, we never get to know their real owners and cases are lost even at pretrial due to tainted and inconclusive investigations.
Im really angry at Magu for bungling this yet again! So far, to what end has Magu succeeded? Who is Magu trying to impress? Magu need not hurt himself further. The SSS is after him. The police hates him. The Presidency cabal wants his head on a platter. Now the NIA. He has refused to put his many training outside Nigeria to use. He should please focus these last two years on building the investigative and institutional process of the EFCC and stop the publicity stunts. Video recording of evidential materials are for tendering during prosecution, not for headline grabbing stunts. Magu needs to re-examine his strategy and tactics. He is the reason why we will not get all true details of the Ikoyi money aside from the official explanation.