That NIA’s black-budget and mysterious whistle-blower
*Yushau Shuaib
(Nigeria) By Yushau Shuaib:
Preparatory to the daring and merciless military operations
against Boko Haram members, top officers of security and intelligence agencies
were in Lagos and Abuja, towards the end of 2014 to interact with critical
stakeholders that matter in shaping public perception and opinions.
The interactive sessions involved the display of video clips
of horrific atrocities of Boko Haram terrorists against humanity. Gory scenes
of brutal executions of captured intelligence officers who were accused of
spying on the terrorists’ group were shown. The officers and their informants
were cruelly dismembered, buried or burnt alive by the dare devil terrorists.
One of the heart-aching videos was that of a captured female
intelligence operative who was "daggered" into pieces before she
could plead for her life. Few months after some debriefing with the
stakeholders, through miraculous strategies of operations against terrorists,
positive images emerged on the gallantry of Nigerian troops. PRNigeria released
some of the declassified videos on the storming of Sambisa Forest by the
special forces and intelligence operatives from the air and on the ground. The
original video showed hijab-dressed female intelligence operatives, guiding
women and children from the air raid to safe military zone.
There were also reported cases of captured men dressed in
women attire by Nigerian troops who were later discovered to be security
operatives assigned to spy in terrorists’ enclaves. Strangely enough, between
January to May 2015, when Sambo Dasuki was the then National Security Adviser,
over two dozen occupied towns were successfully recovered and liberated from
Boko Haram. The towns were: Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi,
Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Kala
Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, Vimtim among
other communities.
Meanwhile, while the military and security agencies took
credit for all counter-terrorism campaigns, most of the high-profile terrorists
arrested, especially at the borders and across the borders were facilitated by
the intelligence service. The service also facilitated the participations of
reluctant neighbours in Multi-National Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) and other
special forces for the success of operations.
Recently too, when 21 Chibok girls were freed by Boko Haram
in October 2016, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo publicly disclosed that there was
no exchange of detained members of the Boko Haram sect for the girls. The
Information Minister, Lai Mohammed also strongly denied the report that
Nigerian government paid a robust ransom for their release. Since no one knows
what influenced the 'Father Christmas’ gesture of Boko Haram leaders in
releasing the girls which even took a section of the military by surprise, it
is purely exceptional intelligence operations.
This writer has deliberately avoided mentioning any of
Nigeria’s secret organisations on the above operations. The recent exposure of
the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to disrepute after the discovery of cash
haul in an Ikoyi Apartment is a sad commentary to the one of the most
organised, fine and respected intelligence organisations in Africa. Not only
has the scandal damaged the integrity of the agency, it further exposed the
Nigeria’s intelligence community to global ridicule.
It is necessary to point out that in security circle, a
black budget is allocated for classified and other covert operations of a
nation which can be expended under different covers and through different
channels including funding of NGOs, Cultural groups, religious organisations,
corporations, private firms and on most occasions through cash that could not
be traced. Consciously and unconsciously, patriotic and innocent citizens have
supported or carried out intelligence activities without being identified with
the secret service.
The instrument relating to the establishment, structure and
duties of the National Intelligence Agency, especially under the National
Security Agencies Act 1986 (Cap 278LFN), clearly states that “The accounts of
the National Intelligence Agency shall not be subject to external audit but the
Director General shall by first week of March each year, render to the
President… certificate showing the total expended during the preceding period
and the under which the expenditure was
made and copy the National Security Adviser.”
Similarly, there are repeated keywords on NIA’s mandates
which include: National Security, National Interest, employing covert sources,
using the cover of government or private concerns; conduct espionage, covert
operations, and counter intelligence activities.
Even though there are declared staff who are authorised to
disclose their identities, most intelligence operatives are undeclared and
barred from disclosing their identities but
only to close family members and associates. While some live in opulence
for covert assignments, others act beggarly and pretend to be poor in sensitive
terrains.
The intelligence agencies allow other sister agencies take
the credit for successful operations. Most of the arrested terrorists’
commanders especially at the borders and across the borders were facilitated by
the intelligence service.
The scandal over N15 billion recovered by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at Osborne Street, Ikoyi, Lagos is quite
embarrassing because the Director General of NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke has
claimed that the fund belonged to the agency.
The incident is coming at a period of an intense
inter-agency rivalry where security agencies were allegedly reported to be
behind the leakages of classified and confidential information to smear their
perceived oppositions within the same government.
The above scenario is again playing out here. Now that NIA
has laid claim to the amount found in Ikoyi apartment, does it mean the
Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) was misled? Is the mysterious whistle-blower a character
in the inter-agency rivalry? Or is it another counter-intelligence by another
foreign secret service against Nigeria?
In a December 2016’s article by this writer on Magu’s EFCC:
Between Suspects and Victims
(http://yashuaib.com/blogs/magu-efcc-suspects-victims/) I
warned that “President Buhari should ensure that the brewing inter-agency
conflict among critical institutions should be urgently addressed. For
instance, if the EFCC should attempt to retaliate against the report of DSS,
the result will not only be dirty but likely to compromise national security.”
While the EFCC publicized the discovery, it has totally
failed to disclose the owner. Even the vibrant spokesperson of EFCC, Wilson
Uwujaren had to put off his mobile phone for almost 72 hours during the fracas.
With all fingers
pointing to the fact that the money belongs to NIA, the burden of proof is who
is the mysterious whistle-blower? Could the whistle-blower have acted on behalf
of an agency engaged in the rivalry or was it as major counter-intelligence
operation by foreign interests to expose and embarrass our intelligence
network?
There are many ways of removing public officers but such
attempts should not be done by rubbishing the integrity of public institutions
they represent, especially in Nigeria's security architecture.
I strongly believe at this critical period and with the
unabated inter-agency rivalries and the incidence of leakages of classified
information by some agencies of government, the current National Security
Adviser, General Babagana Monguno should be wary of these developments. Though
a gentleman, he needs to be more pragmatic, charismatic, assertive and decisive
in dealing with erring agencies.
*Yushau Shuaib is Publisher of PRNigeria, a global award winner in Crisis
Communication
Comments
Post a Comment