A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has accused the suspended Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ayo Oke, of covering up for the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Fani-Kayode said this in a statement on Saturday.
Amaechi had, however, denied owning the money, threatening to sue Fani-Kayode for defamation.
Oke was on Wednesday suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari after coming forward to lay claim to about N13bn that was seized from an Ikoyi apartment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had said the seized money was part of the proceeds from the sale of a gas turbine by the Rotimi Amaechi government but the money was allegedly stolen by Amaechi when he was governor between 2007 and 2015.
Fani-Kayode supported Wike’s claim, insisting that the NIA boss was only being clever.
The ex-minister said, “He took the fall for Amaechi and when he told me he was going to do it, I warned him they would use him to cover the former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, and then mess him up.
“He knows the drill, that once he commits himself, that’s all. We are in court soon. Wait and see what will happen. It is so easy for Nigerians to be fooled by their government. I have always known that. But for serious minded and well educated people to he fooled by this sort of cheap propaganda amazes me.
“Ask yourself why a panel from the Villa is investigating this matter and not the EFCC or the DSS. Ask yourself why the EFCC has not told you who owns the money. Ask yourself how much sense it makes for a security chief to keep $43m in a flat with no security for two years.
“Ask yourself all these questions. When you have the answers, come back. When we get to court, people like you will know why the Rivers State Government, Ekiti State Government, myself and others have said the money is Ameachi’s. It is just a matter of time. Till then, I will say no more on this.”
Fani-Kayode said if it had been anyone else that owned the money, every single person that has a flat in that building would have been in detention by now.
“Ask yourself why this is not the case. Now they are putting a spin on their cover up and bringing former President Goodluck Jonathan into it. It is shameful but I guess that is what Nigerians deserve. They are so gullible,” he said.
