EFCC, NIA and Osborne Towers money

It should have become clear by now to the discerning that the N13.3b‘recovered’ in the full glare of TV live streaming by the EFCC belongs to the National Intelligence Agency. It is also clear that the money is not‘loot’ by some of our political leaders who dwell in that luxury apartments in Osborne Road, Ikoyi as was initially thought. Quite unfairly, some notable political figures have been embarrassed by searches conducted by the EFCC in their homes and some had their names mentioned in connection with the money.

But now it has come to light that the Osborne find is part of money duly approved by the highest authority in the land for use by the National Intelligence Agency for a stated objective. What is debatable now is what the money was doing in that apartment. But even this has been explained: it was kept in a safe house for use by a branch of our intelligence community.

Reports have also revealed that when the EFCC became aware of this money, there was a discussion between the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, and the now suspended former head of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr. Ayo Oke, over the money. That it was made clear to Magu who the owner of the money was and why it was in the Osborne apartment premises. It has been further revealed that the premises is one of NIA’s safe houses and it is not unusual in the world of intelligence agencies the world over to keep, sometimes fairly large sums of money such as the one in dispute now, in safe houses for covert operations.

Given this background, it is a bit surprising that issues relating to this NIA money have been handled the way they have been handled without regard to the nature of work NIA is mandated to perform. Was the eagerness to go public with the ‘find’ a case of mischief, over-enthusiasm or chest-beating on the part of the EFCC to impress the authorities and to convince skeptical Nigerians that it is the foremost security agency in the country more alive to its responsibility than any other in the country? Or, as some commentators have pointed out, is it a case of interagency rivalry, the type of ruinous pursuit that severely divided the various arms of our armed forces under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, a fact which made the fight against Boko Haram futile?

If this is the truth about the matter, this is unfortunate and dangerous for our country which is contending with a lot of security challenges. We need our intelligence and security forces to work hand in hand with one another and share intelligence so that we can better deal with the security challenges assailing the nation.

Whatever may be the motive behind EFCC’s action, this incident once again draws attention to the rather unscrupulous tactic the EFCC loves to employ in its fight against corruption. The organisation loves to adopt the unfair weapon of media trial against its suspects. This helps to explain why scores of EFCC’s suspects have earned conviction in the court of public opinion and only quite a small number have been convicted by the courts. For some of my countrymen and women who love the damning information the EFCC dishes out to the media to establish the guilt of its suspects, I will like to say that if you are not a victim of unfair media trial, you will be tempted to hail the EFCC as a great anti-corruption czar. But if you become one, you will see how much it hurts. Moreover, we are said to be running a democracy and in a democracy, the right to fairness is a key doctrine. That is why all citizens of good conscience must condemn the handling of the NIA affair.

If the present government has the suspicion that previous administrations hid under votes and activities of intelligence agencies to steal money, was there not a better, quieter, discreet and more statesmanlike way of handling the matter? Must all of our affairs be conducted in a noisy, uncultured and immature way like agberos in the motor parks? When will we learn to conduct the anticorruption war and other vital state affairs without drama and media trial of those suspected to be involved? Are there no men and women full of wisdom and circumspection who could have been quietly empaneled and relied upon to investigate and establish the truth surrounding the NIA money and thereafter those with a prima facie case against them dealt with according to law?

There is also the question of fairness and decency. An intelligence agency, such as the NIA, is not supposed to be seen or heard. How come its affairs have now been exposed to such a full glare of the inquiring public? There is a serious financial accusation leveled against NIA. Moreover, its head has been suspended and the man subjected to intense media trial. Even if the man was not on suspension he cannot be expected to publicly defend himself or his organisation without compromising national security. Is not a case of grave injustice already done that a man or an organisation that should not be seen or heard is/ are thrust into public limelight? If in the end, the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo Committee exonerates Ayo Oke of blame in the N13.3b money, who will believe the committee and if he is found culpable who, again, will believe that justice was done; that Ayo Oke was not made a fall guy to cover a sinister sin, especially as it is being rumoured that the money in question is a part of the APC war chest for 2019 elections?

Surely, we urgently need to cultivate some social graces in the handling of our national affairs so that even foreign onlookers can see and say yes this people are mature an cultured enough to govern themselves. We seem to derive some sadistic joy in seeing ourselves exposed to ridicule, embarrassment or being held in odium by others. How much is the salacious tales of recovery of humongous amounts of loots doing to advance the cause of our anticorruption war? Rather than hail us for our determination to fight corruption, what the world is doing instead is looking at us with disdain.

For me, the lesson we must learn from this rather messy and embarrassing handling of the NIA money is that while the war against corruption must by all means continue so that we can rid this society of the cancer that is threatening to eat our country’s bowels out, we must exercise circumspection so that we do not unnecessarily expose to public glare revelations that may ironically expose us to ridicule or things that my turn around to unduly tarnish reputations.

What to me is the greatest wrong in all of this is the unfairness in allowing a person or persons who are not required to speak publicly because of the nature of their work to be put in a position where they are more or less compelled to now speak and defend themselves. It is like tying a pugilist hand and legs and throwing him into the ring to answer his opponent pound for pound and flesh for flesh. The whole nation is waiting eagerly for the outcome of the Osinbajo committee. If the committee comes out with the findings that the money was not loot but legitimate money kept for a legitimate purpose what redemptive measure will be taken to salvage the image and career of Ayo Oke who is said to have spent 37 years in the agency with great distinction?

Let no one see the concerns being expressed here as countenancing corruption. Far be it from our intention. Our concern here is that the poor handling of this matter could affect the security of our nation. And everything, including our vital national interests, should not be sacrificed in the efforts to be seen to be fighting corruption. Care must be taken to ensure that salacious stories involving huge sums of money that can weaken our faith in the system itself should not carelessly get out in efforts among our security and intelligence men to settle personal or inter-agency scores. Nigeria’s image has been battered well enough by salacious stories of mind-boggling looting of public funds. We should not seek for opportunities to further batter our already battered image in the name of fighting corruption.

Dr. Oche, a public affairs analyst, wrote this piece from Lagos