N13billion: How To Handle NIA’s Case – Albert Horsfall
Chief Albert Horsfall was a pioneer member of the defunct National Security Organisation (NSO), the first Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS). He spoke to Daily Trust on Sunday on the discovery of N13billion belonging to the NIA in a Lagos apartment and how the issue should be handled.
Chief Albert Horsfall was a pioneer member of the defunct National Security Organisation (NSO), the first Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a former DirectorGeneral of the State Security Service (SSS). He spoke to on the discovery of N13billion belonging to the NIA in a Lagos apartment and how the issue should be handled.
When you heard about the discovery of N13billion belonging to the NIA in a Lagos apartment, as the agency’s first Director General, did you feel that was normal?
I was shocked when I read the Sunday papers. I couldn’t believe that it was NIA’s money in the first place; especially that such a huge amount was involved.
During my time, I wish I had N10billion. not to talk of N13billion. In my days, we didn’t even have N1billion. So, N13billion of agency’s money in a private apartment, later styled ‘Safe House,’ was a big shock to me. I immediately called the DG, who is on suspension now, to find out whether it was true that he claimed this was NIA’s money? And rather surprisingly, he said, ‘yes.’ So, what should be done now? I had nothing more really to say. I was shocked. But I was even more shocked when I realised that by some stroke of luck, other senior colleagues from another branch of the government, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)had found this money. In normal circumstances, one would say, ‘Thank God it wasn’t discovered by outsiders or even by armed robbers.’ Supposing some armed robbers went and picked it up and went with it? But if it were found by a colleague in another branch of government, then I thought that would have been good luck enough for the whole thing to be kept with the ‘family.’ But now, it has been broadcast and spread literally all over the world in the local and international media.
This didn’t happen during my time. There was usual esprit de corps that governed all members of the security intelligence family. If one member of this family had discovered such huge amount of money ‘carelessly’ left by another colleague in a private apartment, what should he have done? I thought the first he should do was to call up his colleague and say, ‘I found this in your premises, what is going on?’ But they didn’t have that esprit de corps. Of course, sometimes there is service rivalry, but if they didn’t have it, what is the next port of call? I have been asking this question. Is it to report the matter to the president who is the employer of both, or to the press, which I think is surprising and sad?
It is a bad discretion by the DG of the NIA, but it is a national embarrassment, especially to this government for such indiscretion to have taken place by its intelligence agency.
I wondered why the first port of call was not the appropriate channel. It is either the president or the National Security Adviser (NSA), who is a kind of coordinator of these service units. So, why the press?
When you said you were shocked, could it be that the practice of keeping a safe house is a strange thing?
I couldn’t say it is strange to me, depending on the circumstances -if a ‘safe house’ was the type of safe house that had the necessary security. For instance, they have a built-in safe, wall-safe and it is locked with the keys properly held and somebody is manning the safe house, then it would be good custody for that money.
Was it done under you?
I don’t know. What I know is what I read in the papers, and the impression was that the money was spread all over the place, which smacks another question. Yes, it is careless and indiscreet enough for such an amount of money to be left in a safe house unguarded. But would it also make sense for the money to be spread all over the place as the papers had it with photographs of it on the floor? It doesn’t make sense to me in the first place.
Also, the matter of esprit de corps which operates around the entire military and paramilitary environment did not come to play in this particular case, nor was the incidence reported to the appropriate quarters. I would think that such a thing, okay the president is an elderly person, but what about the NSA? Call his attention. This also does not happen, and that’s what is strange to me.
The discoverer of this would either have called Mr President and gone to him, which is a little bit