President Buhari Suspends SGF Babachir and DG NIA Okeh

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT BUHARI SUSPENDS SGF AND DG, NIA
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into
the allegations of violations of law and due process made against
the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David
Babachir Lawal, in the award of contracts under the Presidential
Initiative on the North East (PINE).
The President has also directed the suspension of the SGF from
office pending the outcome of the investigations.
In a related development, the President has ordered a full scale
investigation into the discovery of large amounts of foreign and
local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers,
Ikoyi, Lagos, over which the National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
has made a claim.
The investigation is also to enquire into the circumstances in
which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by
whose or which authority the funds were made available to the
NIA, and to establish whether or not there has been a breach of the
law or security procedure in obtaining custody and use of the
funds.
The President has also directed the suspension of the Director
General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, pending the outcome of
the investigation.
A three-man Committee comprising the Hon. Attorney-General of
the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the National Security
Adviser, headed by the Vice President, is to conduct both
investigations.
The Committee is to submit its report to the President within 14
days.
The most senior Permanent Secretary in the SGF's office, and the
most senior officer in the NIA, are to act, respectively, during the
period of investigation.
FEMI ADESINA
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
April 19, 2017