Reps probe ‘disappearance’ of $44m from NIA vault

The house of representatives on Tuesday resolved to probe the reported disappearance of $44 million from the coffers of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). The money was said to have been moved from the coffers of the agency to an unknown destination shortly after Ahmed Abubakar was appointed its new director-general. A similar incident had led to the dismissal of Ayo Oke, the agency’s former DG. Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Doye Diri, member representing Yenagoa/ Kolokuma/Opokuma constituency in Bayelsa state, described the alleged disappearance as “very unfortunate”. Diri had introduced a motion on the reported disappearance and on issues surrounding the appointment of Abubakar as the agency’s new DG. He said the issues should be investigated “for urgent national interest”. “These issues paint a poor picture of our national security and dents the reputation of the agency in the eyes of the public,” he said. “We must bear in mind that the agency represents us not only in Nigeria but in the eyes of the international community. “So we should immediately look into these matters in a bid to resolve them because if the image we present before other countries remains dented this way, then we are doomed.” Contributing to the motion, Toby Okechukwu, member representing Aninri/Agwu/Oji-Uzo constituency in Enugu state, described the alleged disappearance as “monumental embarrassment” for the country. He said it is unfortunate that such a huge amount should he reported missing “when the dust raised by the Ikoyigate scandal (when some huge sums of monies purportedly belonging to the NIA were discovered in a Lagos apartment) is yet to settle. The house committee on national security and intelligence was directed to probe the matter and report back in two weeks.]]>