It has emerged that the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
which is seeking to interrogate the
sacked Director General of the
Department of State Services (DSS),
Lawal Daura, has spread its
investigations to cover spendings by
the service under the administration
of President Goodluck Jonathan and
the funds inherited by Daura from his
predecessor.
Sources close to commission told the
Sunday Tribune at the weekend that
investigators of the EFCC have zeroed
on funds Daura received from the
previous administration and what
exactly happened to the funds.
Following the interrogation of the
former Director General of the DSS,
Mr. Ita Ekpeyong, it emerged that the
service actually returned more than
N3 billion unspent operations funds
during the period.
The EFCC has also received details of
the funds inherited by Daura.
A source in the commission said
following the failure of the
investigators to make expected
discoveries when the searched the
home of Daura, attention has now
been zeroed in on what happened to
the funds he inherited from Ekpetong.
It was learnt that the need to get to
the roots of every kobo handed over
by Ekpeyong necessitated the search
of his house, his interrogation and the
decision to place him on stand by for
further investigations.
A source in the know said: “With the
apparent lack of substantial evidence
in the searches conducted so far in
the residences and guest houses of
Daura, investigating authorities are
holding on to suspected depletion of
funds he took over from his
predecessor, Ekpenyong Ita.
“The monies handed over are a public
knowledge. When the director general
of such Service hands over, copies are
customarily sent to the President,
the National Security Adviser, the
Service itself, the incoming and
outgoing directors general would have
their copies.”
The source said that some of the
funds already accounted for included
the various sums $21.23m and N12.96
billion in pension fund, N2.2 billion in
serial account, and another N2.2 billion
earmarked for insurance.
There are different other us heads
totaling about 20, a source at the
EFCC said, adding that Ekpeyong has
actually been cooperating with
investigators by appearing at the
Commission’s headquarters almost
every other day.
Sources said while the EFCC was
actually not probing the operations
accounts of the DSS, it’s investigators
were worried about some bulk
movements.
For instance, a source said that there
may be questions as to why the
accounts of the commission stood at
about N6 billion as of June this year
from the N12.9 billion that was handed
over by Ekpeyong.
The investigators are concerned and
checking out if the funds were
diverted and who authorised such
“The EFCC is only interested in just
some basic questions that he (Daura)
may need to provide answers to. Mind
you, this is not a probe of the DSS, we
are only seeking clarifications,” a
source said.
The ongoing probe is, however, said to
be causing some confusion in
Intelligence circles following reports
that President Muhammadu Buhari had
last year given a directive that
probes of DSS, the National Intelligence
Agency(NIA) and other Secret services
would only be undertaken by close
insiders in order not to expose Nigeria
to ridicule and suspicion by the global
Intelligence networks.
Sources in the administration said at
the weekend that if the ongoing probe
continues, it could go against against
the tide in inquiry into intelligence
matters all over the world.
It was also gathered that the
Ambassador Babagana Kingibe-led
Committee, which investigated the NIA
funds discovered in Lagos, had also
recommended as such.
It was learnt that the confusion
reigning so far could stall further
probe and questioning of Daura by the
EFCC.
A source familiar with the situation
said: “The committee had advised the
President, and it was approved, that
matters of intelligence should be
discreetly handled by a special body of
former members of the community
and the report turned in to the
President for necessary actions.
“This (investigations of DSS) would be a
clear case of blatant disregard of the
Presidential directive arising from the
report of the committee, and the
norm all over the world.
“If it goes this way, nobody would
volunteer information that could be
processed into intelligence, there may
be no bilateral collaboration between
Nigeria intelligence agencies and some
known cracked foreign agencies in the
world like the FBI, CIA, MI5, MI6 and
more, for fear that they could be
exposed, compromised and the lives of
their operatives compromised in the
course of open probe. And I know that
we (Nigeria) have enjoyed that
goodwill over years.
“An open investigation by outsiders
might just be penny wise, pound
foolish. A bubble of pyrrhic victory
that would evaporate and expose
Nigeria to ridicule.
“Either way, even if there’s
misdemeanour anywhere, any inquiry
without a presidential imprimatur in
line with the world best practices
and as recommended by the
committee would be a bastardized
effort.”
In furtherance of the ongoing probe of
the blockade of the National Assembly
on July 24, sources have confirmed
that suspected collaborators have
been cleverly placed on watchlist.
It was confirmed that some of the
collaborators allegedly mentioned in
the interim report have been placed
on watchlist.
The list of those placed on close
watch was said to have been longer
then expected as according to
sources, it contained top officials of
the administration suspected to have
held secret meetings that led to the
blockade of the legislature are also on
the list.
The unusual thing about this move is
that the agency in charge of the
close watch is not your usual agency
and the administration is keeping the
identity of the agency under wraps, a
source said, adding that the suspects
include heads of some parastatals, and
agencies.
“Those involved cannot leave the
country for now,” the source said.
