The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has been asked to honor the decision of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria and reinstate Ambassador Mohammed Dauda as Director and Acting Director-General of the agency.
The court had declared that the purported letter of dismissal issued to Dauda on March 6, 2018, was unlawful, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
N1 million was also awarded to the claimant against the NIA in a judgement issued on October 15, 2020.
The declarations were sequel to reliefs sought by Dauda before Justice O.Y. Anuwe, in an originating summons filed on May 11, 2018.
The request was contained in a letter dated October 30, 2020, from Kanu G. Agabi & As
Dauda was a Director at the NIA until his dismissal. On November 7th, 2017, he was made Acting Director-General after a stint as Ambassador to Chad.
According to his attorneys, while serving as acting DG, he was removed unceremoniously without any reason. After his removal as acting DG, he remained a Director until March 6th when he was dismissed on the premise that it was on the recommendation of the Special Management Staff Disciplinary Committee (SMSDC). The attorneys said the letter did not specify the grounds in support of the charge against their client and no explanation for the conclusion reached.
According to the attorneys ‘The committee purportedly set up to investigate the charges against him was illegally constituted as the members were all retired directors which is a violation of Article 8 of the National Security Agency Act of 1986. He was never given the opportunity to defend himself before any competent disciplinary committee’.
In the originating summons filed on March 11, 2018, the Claimants attorneys said the committee said it found out that Dauda violated various sections of Agency rules and Regulations and accordingly dismissed him from service.
They had approached the Industrial court with a set of reliefs that included 1. That the procedure adopted falls short of the provisions of Article 8, 2. A declaration that failure to set up a competent committee to look into the allegations was a violation of Dauda’s constitutional rights and 3. An order for the payment of his salaries and entitlements from the period of his unlawful dismissal to the point of his reinstatement.