Some directors in the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) have raised an
\nalarm over recent developments in the agency, particularly the change in
\nleadership. The directors, in a letter to the House of Representatives
\nCommittee on Security and National Intelligence, called for an urgent
\nintervention to stop the change in the agency ‘s leadership from having
\nsevere consequences on the country’s security apparatus. They are
\ndemanding the removal of the newly appointed Director-General of the
\nagency, Mr. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.<\/p>\n
Dated\u00a0 January 29 and co-signed by EO Olanrewaju, Nelson Obiakor and Ahmed
\nSarki ( not real names) on behalf of a group named Concerned Directors of
\nNIA, the letter said the appointment of Mr. Abubakar is a threat to
\ncohesion in the agency. According to the letter, Mr. Abubakar is the first
\nhead of the agency to be appointed from a rank below that of a director.<\/p>\n
“Since its inception 32 years ago , nobody below the rank of a director
\nhas been appointed as its head. This explains why we regard the recent
\nappointment of Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, a man who is on record to have failed
\nto merit elevation to the rank of director and who has retired from
\nservice to come and preside over people who are not only his seniors in
\nrank but who fit into the order of precedence,” said the letter.<\/p>\n
The disaffected directors argued that Mr Abubakar\u2019s appointment as DG NIA
\nwill set a dangerous precedence.<\/p>\n
“While we are aware that part of the new DG\u2019s agenda is to retire those of
\nus who are his seniors, as it is more likely that he may not want to work
\nwith us, it is evident that he will pursue a vendetta mission, which he
\nhas already indicated in his very first address to us.He is at liberty to
\ngo ahead with what we know he intends to do, but we wish to point out the
\nunderlying dangers in a massive purge of senior officers of the agency, to
\nthe effect that, not only will the millions of dollars spent on training
\nand retraining us be lost, we are also custodians of the country\u2019s
\nintelligence dossiers, and may decide to use same for mischief,” said the
\ndisenchanted directors.<\/p>\n
They warned that the country\u2019s already brittle security situation may
\nbecome worse if they are shabbily treated by the new DG NIA. They also
\nsaid if Mr. Abubakar is unable to work with those of them still in service
\nand with better credentials, the Presidency should appoint a serving
\ndirector, who understands the dynamics of the agency in his place.<\/p>\n
“Having failed promotion examinations to the directorship rank, which we
\ncan attest to and make bold to state that it amounts to administrative
\nsuicide to allow a practical misfit take over the agency and later
\nmortgage same to his paymasters, who have ulterior motives,” said the
\ndirectors.<\/p>\n
They requested the House to investigate Mr. Abubakar’s nationality.<\/p>\n
“Since the government, itself admitted that Mr Abubakar was born and bred
\nin Chad, while on the other hand, he claims to have been born in Nigeria;
\nat least going by his the records and his CV, suffice it to point out that
\nthere is an obvious contradiction. We call upon this honorable body to
\nthoroughly look into this seeming discrepancy,” they requested.<\/p>\n
They stated that the agency’s rules require that any prospective appointee
\ninto such strategic position must be vetted from the cradle.<\/p>\n
“It is an incontrovertible fact that Mr. Abubakar\u2019s\u00a0 links with Chad, a
\ncountry with likely rival interest with Nigeria, makes him suspect as an
\nespionage and not fit to head the country\u2019s elite intelligence agency.<\/p>\n
“It is necessary for us to alert that, the issue of likely doubtful
\nloyalty is a serious issue in intelligence corridors. Where a person\u2019s
\nnationality or that of his spouse becomes unclear, a thorough vetting from
\nthe cradle become even more demanding.<\/p>\n
In this case, it is very dangerous that the vetting process has been
\ncompromised, which is an ominous danger to the nation\u2019s security,” argued
\nthe directors.<\/p>\n
The equally requested the House Committee to investigate the activities of
\nthe Mr. Babagana Kingibe-led Presidential Review Panel as the relate to
\nMr. Abubakar’s appointment.<\/p>\n
“It is very curious that paragraph 4(1) of the recommendations of the
\nKingibe panel prescribes that a serving director should be picked as the
\nDirector-General, only for the same characters that sat in judgement over
\nthe need to reorganize the NIA, turning around to violate their own
\nrecommendations, by picking one of them to contemptuously assume duty as
\nhead of the NIA,” the directors said.<\/p>\n
They alleged that it was very clear from the start that the Presidential
\nReview Panel was inaugurated purposely to protect the former DG, Mr. Ayo
\nOke, who has repeatedly threatened to expose beneficiaries of his time in
\noffice if there is an attempt to disgrace him.\u00a0 \u00a0 The angry directors
\nfurther alleged that the motive is to ensure that the remaining $44
\nmillion of the NIA intervention fund is kept within the reach of the
\ncabal.<\/p>\n
“The failure of the immediate past Acting DG, Muhammed Dauda, to allow
\nthem access to the money may be the reason for his removal,” they
\nreasoned.<\/p>\n
The Concerned Directors also disclosed that the Clandestine Operations
\nUnit of the NIA has been ordered to manufacture and clone documents that
\ncould be used to defend Mr. Abubakar against the legitimacy crisis he is
\nfacing.<\/p>\n
Some directors in the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) have raised an alarm over recent developments in the agency, particularly the change in leadership. The directors, in a letter to the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n