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The Vice President Osinbajo led presidential investigative committee will now be submitting its report to the President on Monday, officials said on Wednesday.
A statement by the Vice President’s media aide, Laolu Akande, made the announcement but was silent on the reason for the extension by the three man committee which also consists of the Attorney General to the Federation Abubakar Malami and the National Security Adviser to the President, Babagana Mongunu.
“The three-man Presidential Investigative Committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari, under the chairmanship of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to inquire into the Discovery of Foreign and Local Currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at Osbourne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos and the Allegations of Due Process Violations in the Award of Contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) is completing its assignment today and is scheduled to present its reports to the President on Monday, May 8, 2017,” the one paragraphed statement read.
Malami had on Tuesday told State House Correspondents that the committee will be submitting their report today being the 14th day deadline given by the President. The President was not at the Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting, where journalists thought he would receive the report.
President Buhari penultimate Wednesday suspended the SGF and the DG NIA and set up a committee to carryout a full-scale investigation into the issues surrounding the two of them. The committee was given 14 days to complete its work and report to the President.
Part of the tasks of the Osinbajo led committee is to investigate why the NIA, Nigeria’s Foreign Security agency kept $43.4m, N23m and £27,000 (N13bn) in a house in Ikoyi. The money was seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, following a tip-off from a whistle-blower.
A statement by Presidential Spokesman Femi Adesina, last week stated that 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 committee which was also saddled with the responsibility to investigate the allegations of violations of law and due process made against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal, in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE), have grilled Oke and Lawal and others linked to their cases. The wife of the NIA DG as well as the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele has also been quizzed on their knowledge of the $43 million.
