NIA says it won’t go to court to claim ownership of $50M

The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has said that it will not go to court to claim ownership of the

The cash, which was recovered due to information provided by a whistleblower, was believed to have been stashed in the apartment by a looter until the NIA claimed that the money was allotted to it for “covert operations.”

“The money is going back to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the NIA will write to reapply for the fund, which was actually meant for a covert operation of the agency,” an NIA source told Daily Trust.

“You know this is a secret agency that is hardly in public glare. The money was meant for an operation and it was kept there and only spent with approval of the Presidency. The Presidency is aware of the funds and gave approvals for spending.

“Like I told you, the money belongs to the NIA and the agency has no reason to join this issue if it were not its money. What does the NIA stand to benefit from shielding any politician? The agency will never smear its reputation in such manner. The fund belongs to the NIA and the agency will follow appropriate steps in reclaiming it,” the source added.

A Federal High Court in Lagos had, on Thursday April 13, ordered temporary forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.

Presiding judge, Justice Sule Hassan adjourned the case till May 5, 2017 to allow persons with interest in the money come before him to give reasons why it should not be permanently forfeited to the government.

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Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike is also claiming ownership of the funds which he alleges were misappropriated from the state by his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi.

Amaechi has however denied the claim while describing Wike as a confused child.