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How I Stopped Kingibe, Abba Kyari, Rufai Abubakar From Stealing $44m-Former Acting D-G, NIA
Immediate past Acting Director-General (D-G) of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr Mohammed Dauda, has disclosed that he fought off attempts by Messrs. Babagana Kingibe, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and his protégé and incumbent D-G of the NIA, Mr. Rufai Abubakar and Abba Kyari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff to steal $44million NIA intervention fund. The disclosure was made in a brief to the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
In the brief, exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, Mr. Dauda said he assumed office as Acting D-G on November 6 2017, following a brief meeting with Mr. Kyari at the Presidential Villa. The Chief of Staff, he said, conveyed the President’s directive to him that he should function in an acting capacity while waiting for further directives. 
On leaving the Presidential Villa, Mr. Dauda said he headed straight to have a meeting with Mr. Arab Yadam who was D-G in an acting capacity but was retiring. The meeting, he said, dwelt on what the retiring Acting D-G did in the seven months during which he ran the agency. The briefing, said Mr. Dauda, comprised his administrative, operational and technical duties, all of which were highly confidential. Mr. Yadam also gave his successor the picture of the agency’s financial position, which included $44million he informed was part of the intervention fund that brought the Ikoyi apartment cash scandal.
After the briefing, Mr. Yadam introduced Mr. Dauda to Brigadier-General Mohammed Ja’afaru, the Acting Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) who briefed him on the nature of the agency’s assignments. Among these are the daily operations of the accounts for both domestic and foreign management. The Acting DFA also told Mr. Dauda that the $44million in his custody, which was not part of the agency’s budgetary allocation, should not be touched because it had become an exhibit in an ongoing case. The purpose of the disclosure, Mr. Dauda said, was for his information.
Not long after Mr. Dauda assumed office, the Presidential Review Panel (PRP) headed by Mr. Kingibe started its assignment within NIA. The agency provided the members of the panel with office space, accommodation, food and other logistics. Aside from Mr. Kingibe, other members include Mr. Albert K. Horsfall, a former D-G of the State Security Service; Mr. Olaniyi Oladeji, Mr. ZY Ibrahim both former DGs of the NIA and the current DG of NIA, Mr. Abubakar, who was PRP Secretary.
After the maiden meeting with the panel, said Mr. Dauda, Mr. Kingibe called him to advise that in his own interest, he should cooperate with them fully and avoid being close with Buhari’s National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, Mr. Kingibe also disclosed that they had presidential powers to overrule previous instructions or directives issued by the NSA.
“I was instructed to channel all our activities, contacts, concerns and complaints through the Office of the Chief of Staff Abba Kyari only,” said Mr. Dauda.
He said the instructions left him in discomfort, as they contradict all the provisions of the agency’s instruments. Not wanting to start on a confrontational note, he kept away from the NSA as instructed.
According to him, things went on smoothly untilKingibe and Abubakar kept pressuring him for money. Mr. Dauda said he explained that the agency’s dollar account was low because of the difficulty in sourcing dollars from the Central Bank of Nigeria following the crises that arose from the Ikoyi money scandal. However, the replied that the $44m in the custody of the Acting DFA belongs to the agency and that the DFA had no power to stop Mr. Dauda from spending the money. They added that since the crisis had blown over, Mr. Dauda should go and tell Brigadier-General Jafa’aru to return to his job in the army. He was advised to write to the National Security Adviser to withdraw him or ask the NIA security department to stop him from entering the premises of the agency.
Mr. Dauda said the pressure was huge, but he felt if Brigadier-General Jafa’aru left, he might not be able to resist further pressure from the desperate Kingibe led gang.
“They kept insisting that they had the mandate of the President and that the President had directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to hands off the money and that it was legitimately ours. They verbally queried me on the logic of keeping the money as an exhibit since there was no case pending in court. Ambassador Kingibe told me that he was the one who, through the Chief of Staff drafted the memo that the President assented to, instructing the EFCC to hands off our case (Ikoyi cash . scandal) just to convince me that there are no more encumbrances on the money,” stated Mr. Dauda.
Still, no dice. He claimed that Kingibe and others kept pressuring and threatening that if he did not get rid of the Brigadier-General, he would have regrets. Mr. Dauda said he had no reason to get the man out and he actually enjoyed working with him. His refusal to do as they wished, he said, this prompted Messrs. Kingibe and Abubakar to tell him at a meeting that he was refusing presidential orders to bar the Brigadier-General from the NIA premises. They warned him that there might be consequences if he remained adamant. At one of the meetings, explained Mr. Dauda, Mr. Horsfall advised him to ignore any suggestion that could cause confrontation between him and the NSA and advised his colleagues on the panel to put it as part of their recommendations to the President since they had his mandate, so he could order the NSA to remove the Acting DFA from the NSA.
The pressure on him for money, the former Acting D-G said, intensified.
“They wanted money for medical treatment or holidays abroad for their families and girlfriends. I met and gave a lady Ambassador Kingibe simply introduced to me as “Angela” money twice at the car park of the Hilton Hotel. Once $50,000 and the second time $20,000, which apparently did not impress him. Even the current DG NIA once called me on WhatsApp, just like Amb. Kingibe always does and said that his Oga was traveling to London for medical check-up and he suggested that I should find something for him as a sign of good will. So, I reluctantly gave him $50,000 against my will, a decision that made me sad throughout the day,” he said. He added that Mr. Kingibe collected over $200,000 from him during the time he headed the PRP. Mr. Dauda said he was always using the President’s name to squeeze cash out of the NIA. They also undermined the Office of the National Security Adviser.
On December 20 2017, said the former Acting DG, Mr. Kingibe asked the current DG NIA to tell him to meet them at home located at 59 Nelson Mandela Street, Asokoro, Abuja. He was asked to come alone. At the meeting, he was told of his refusal to cooperate with them and they had brought him there to warn that the Acting DFA was conspiring with some people to steal the $44million in their safe. He was warned that he would be held liable if he did not stop their plan.
“They told me that their Committee had completed their assignment and that their recommendations were so generous to the DG NIA. They said they recommended the appointment of two Deputy Directors-General and watered down their powers enough so that they will not be in a position to pose any threat to him as the DG,” wrote Mr. Dauda.
They then suggested that it was his turn to do something in return as he was likely to get the President’s nod as the substantive DG only if he could immediately make $2million available.
“I told them it was not going to be possible as the only money available was the $44million and I didn’t know how to approach the Acting DFA. They also told me at the meeting that if I can’t sack the DFA, they would send someone to do it soon. That was my last communication with them until I heard of my removal from office on Wednesday 11 January on Channels Television around 8 pm,’ said Mr. Dauda.
The next day, he advised the NSA to look at the possibility of evacuating the money from the NIA, an advice the NSA heeded. The money was moved and taken to the Office of the NSA.
Later that night, Mr. Dauda said he received a call from the Mr. Abubakar, who requested for a meeting with him and the staff who worked with him at 10pm. Mr. Abubakar said the meeting was ordered by Mr. Kyari. The meeting was eventually moved to the next day after Mr. Dauda protested that it was too late. At the meeting the next day, an enraged Mr. Abubakar said the Presidency blamed him for not taking over immediately thereby giving room for the money to be taken away and warned that Mr. Dauda would be held responsible.
When he finished, Mr. Dauda said he told him no money was missing and that he approved the transfer so the money could be safe.
“I told him that if there was no ulterior motive, the apprehension was unfounded. I also warned him to mind his language as I have always been his senior in this service,” Mr. Dauda stated.
He equally stated that his life is being threatened by the Kingibe gang and requested immediate protection for him and his family. Mr. Abubakar, he said, has already shown his hand with a letter requesting Mr. Dauda to return official vehicles in his possession. He has also received another letter restricting his movement on the claim that the agency was investigating leakage of sensitive information.
“These are acts meant to cow and intimidate me into submission and there are also attempts to bundle me out of my official quarters through extra-legal means and also to withdraw my security details, thereby impacting my security,” he said.
He called on the House Committee not to allow the Kingibe gang to subvert the rule of law by bullying him into submission.
•Explains how PFIPC was allocated money in the budget.
The Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) yesterday explained that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the presidency declared as fake and is currently being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, had its origin in the last administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr. Tanimu Yakubu who provided the explanation in a statement, after appearing before members of the House of Representatives, in Abuja said the PFIPC’s institutional origin was premised on the Presidential Economic Advisory Council inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 9, 2019. He also explained how the fake agency was allocated money in the 2026 budget.
His words, “PEAC/PFIPC did not enter the 2026 Budget merely because it asked for funds. The Council had its origin in the Presidential Economic Advisory Council inaugurated during the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari on October 9, 2019. By the time preparation of the 2026 Budget began, official instruments had already been issued by the institutions charged with those functions.
“The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had assigned an administrative code to the PFIPC. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had approved an authorised establishment and a recruitment waiver. The applicable public-service salary structure also existed. These instruments did not come from the Budget Office. They came to it.
“The Budget Office did not create the Council. It did not assign its code. It did not approve its establishment. It did not grant its recruitment waiver. It received official instruments and did what the law required of it: it measured their fiscal effect.”
Mr. Tanimu further explained that the Council submitted a personnel estimate of N3.850 billion for the 2026 Fiscal Year and that his Office had to reduce that figure to N802.978 million, using the authorised establishment, the approved recruitment waiver, the applicable public-service salary structure and the extant costing methodology
According to the D-G, “Council later submitted a personnel estimate of N3,850,935,000.00. That estimate did not form the basis of the Budget Office’s recommendation. The Budget Office disregarded it and made an independent calculation using only the authorised establishment, the approved recruitment waiver, the applicable public-service salary structure and the extant costing methodology.
“That calculation produced N802,978,783.00. This was not a concession to the Council. It was the Budget Office’s own fiscal judgment. It was the amount placed in the Executive Budget proposal and later appropriated.
Mr Yakubu said that the Council could not receive the approved funds for personnel because its promoter, Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi could not secure Financial Clearance, an instrument that confirms that necessary fiscal and regulatory had been met.
He said, “Financial Clearance is the point at which a personnel provision may begin to acquire legal force as expenditure. It is not a routine letter. It is the confirmation that the fiscal and regulatory conditions for recruitment have been met. Until it is issued, the figure remains in the budget. It does not create staff. It does not open payroll. It does not produce salary. The Budget Office did not issue Financial Clearance for PEAC/PFIPC because the conditions were incomplete.
“The 2026 Appropriation Bill did not become law until Presidential Assent on 31 March 2026. Before that date, the Budget Office could cost the proposal. It could not grant final Financial Clearance against a bill that had not yet become law.
“After assent, a further condition remained outstanding. The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had not confirmed that the proposed staffing and remuneration arrangements complied with its prescribed template and the approved public-service compensation framework.
“The Budget Office could calculate the cost. It could not open the gate. There was therefore no Financial Clearance. There was no lawful recruitment. There was no payroll enrollment. There was no salary payment.”
The D-G added, “The personnel provision was N802,978,783.00. It represented 61.63 per cent of the total appropriation of N1,302,978,783.00. It has sometimes been described as though the Council could have received the whole amount and spent it at will. That description is false.
“Personnel appropriations are not paid to agencies as lump sums. After every legal condition has been met, salaries are paid month by month. The money moves electronically into the designated bank accounts of verified employees enrolled on the Federal Government payroll.
“The institution does not receive the annual personnel provision as cash under its control. Even in a lawful process, the Council would not have received N802,978,783.00 in one payment. The money would have gone over twelve months to individual employees. That process never began. No Financial Clearance was issued. No recruitment took place. No payroll record was created. No salary became due. Not one kobo of the personnel provision could lawfully have been drawn. Not one kobo was drawn. There is no personnel expenditure to recover because there was no personnel expenditure.”
The PFIPC controversy became public on June 11, 2026, when the Chief of Staff to the president, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, declared the Council as fake and petitioned the law enforcement agencies.
However, at a press conference on June 26, the Director General of the PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi faulted the presidency’s disclaimer. He alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional N200 million to secure his appointment — an allegation which the Chief of Staff denied and has sued him to court claiming N15b as damages for defamation. Adeyemi is currently in custody after he was arrested by the police in connection with the PFIPC scandal and alleged forgery.
Before his arrest, Adeyemi claimed he personally approached officials of the budget office to seek the inclusion of the Council in the federal government’s budget.
Recently, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) confirmed that it opened two domiciliary accounts linked to the PFIPC on the directive of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).
The apex bank, however, said the accounts, one denominated in United States dollars and the other in British pounds sterling, were never funded or operated.
United States President Donald Trump has commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as his decisive leadership in tackling terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly attacks targeting Christian communities.
Trump conveyed the praise in a letter dated July 6, 2026, the contents of which were made public on Wednesday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In the letter, titled “President Trump lauds President Tinubu’s decisive leadership against terrorists,” the US President applauded Tinubu’s efforts to confront security challenges and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations.
“Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people.
“I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities, and it is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” Trump wrote.
Trump described the relationship between the United States and Nigeria as increasingly important amid growing security challenges across West Africa.
“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time when conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat,” he stated.
The US President also highlighted ongoing defence cooperation between both countries, noting that American Special Operations Forces had been deployed to assist Nigeria’s military.
“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack.
“I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency,” Trump added.
According to the Presidency, Nigeria and the United States have expanded security cooperation in recent months following the establishment of a Joint Working Group co-chaired by the National Security Advisers of both countries.
The collaboration has centred on intelligence sharing, military training and coordinated operations against terrorist groups.
The statement noted that one of the key outcomes of the partnership was the joint operation carried out on May 16 against ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad region, which reportedly led to the killing of the group’s senior leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, along with several of his lieutenants.
The Presidency also disclosed that the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja last week, where he held talks with senior Nigerian officials and pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation in security and other strategic sectors.
…Usman, Abba plead mercy
A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a man who claimed to be 50 years old and father of 19 children, Mahmud Usman, to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to offences of kidnapping for ransom, terrorism, among others.
Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas and Mukhtar), described by the prosecution as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, was sentenced, along with his co-defendant, Abubakar Abba (also known as Mahmud al-Nigeri and Malam Mamuda), who is said to be the group’s deputy leader and chief of staff.
Usman and Abba were arraigned earlier this year on a 32-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The two are said to be among the key terrorist leaders who were behind the Oriire, Oyo State school kidnap and demanded to be released by the government.
During their arraignment, Usman pleaded guilty to a count of illegal mining for funding terrorism/arms, and was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.
He pleaded not guilty to the other 31 counts, while his co-defendant, Abba, pleaded not guilty to all the 32 counts.
On July 9, however, Abba informed the court of his intention to withdraw his earlier not guilty plea, but needed some time to consult with his lawyer, a request Justice Emeka Nwite granted and adjourned till July 20.
On Monday, both defendants pleaded guilty to the 32 counts when they were read to them, following which Justice Nwite convicted them accordingly.
While appealing to the court to be lenient in sentencing the defendants, their lawyer, Bala Dakun, said by pleading guilty, his clients now appreciate the gravity of the offence they admitted to committing.
Dakun said the convicts’ guilty pleas were not intended to trivialise the offence or justify their conduct, but a show of remorse and repentance, while seeking mercy from the court.
He said the convicts saved the time of the court and the resources and time the prosecution would have deployed in bringing witnesses to the court and proving their case beyond reasonable doubt.
Dakun told the court that Usman is 50 years old, with 19 children and the sole provider of the family.
He said the second defendant, Abba, is 35 years old, with three children and a wife.
The defence lawyer said both defendants suffer from arthritis and ulcers.
Dakun said his clients promised to work with security agencies by providing them information about the operation, financing and network of the terrorist groups in the country.
He said the convicts should be granted amnesty as has been done for some repentant Boko Haram members, who have been rehabilitated.
With the permission of the court, Usman spoke in English and said he felt remorseful and that they admitted the offences, for the court to have mercy on them and their dependants, who will suffer in their absence.
Usman, who admitted having 19 children, said he suffers from bad health and that he was planning to return to school before he was arrested.
After listening to Dakun and Usman, Justice Nwite, who rose briefly, returned to hand out the sentences. He sentenced the two to life imprisonment in relation to counts 30 and 31.
The judge also sentenced them to 20 years, without an option of fine, on counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 32.
The two defendants were handed 25 years in respect of count 11, while only the second defendant (Abba) got 15 years in respect of count 10.
Justice Nwite ordered that the sentences shall run concurrently from the date of their arrest.
The defendants were arrested by the prosecuting agency (DSS) in separate operations between May and July 2025.
They were charged with various offences including terrorism and terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, funding terrorism, fabricating Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), among other charges.
The two defendants were equally accused of coordinating sleeper cells, attacks, and maintaining ties with terrorist groups in the Sahel/Maghreb region.
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