INVESTIGATION: Why Tinubu Appoints Someone Buhari Disgraced Out of Office as Nig's High Commissioner to France (Investigations),
So, on the April 12, 2017, EFCC officers raided the flat and found large sums of money kept inside metal filing cabinets and huge sewn sacks called "Ghana must go" bags.
The EFCC counted approximately US $43 million, 27,800 British pounds and N23 million. In cash.
The EFCC sealed the apartment and the money seized as exhibits and taken into EFCC custody.
Subsequent investigation revealed that the apartment and the money were linked to Folashade Oke, wife of Auodele Oke, .
Fulashade Oke is the wife of Ayodele Oke, then the director general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
NIA is Nigeria's international espionage and counter surveillance agency. Think of Nigeria's equivalent of US's CIA.
With these revelations, late former President Mohammadu Buhari ordered his immediate suspensions to permit a transparent investigation.
Court filings later reveaed that the apartment was bought in 2015 through a company owned by Folashade Oke, Ayodele's wife and her son.
The luxury apartment itself was reportedly purchased with cash.
EFCC concluded that the money found in the apartment were unlawful public funds suspected to have been diverted from Ayodele's agency.
In early November 2017, the case reached the Federal High Court in Lagos where the EFCC summoned Ayodele Oke and his wife to appear for questioning in connection with the incident.
On November 9, 2017, the Federal High Court ordered the interim forfeiture of the Ikoyi apartment and the entire sum of money to the federal government of Nigeria.
Before that decision, the court earlier gave a period of 14 days for any person or organization to come forward and show evidence of why the property and the money should not be permanently forfeited to the government.
No one or agency did. So, ownership of both cash a property went to the federal government.
The anonymous whistleblower who leaked the information was reportedly rewarded under the federal whistleblowing policy.
Two years later, in 2019, the EFCC declared the Okes wanted, following their failure to appear in court, to face further charges related to money laundering and unlawful possessions of funds. The case idled in court for several years ostensibly because the couple were abroad, reportedly for to medical reasons.
Eventually, in June 2023, the EFCC applied to withdraw the charges. The anti corruption agency told the court that the withdrawal was based on "national security" considerations.
The Federal High Court granted the request and the charges against the Okes were struck out.
It is the same Ayodele Oke who is now the Nigerian High Commissioner to France.
Those who remember this incident would undoubtedly frown at Oke's appointment.
But, that is because there are so many technical issues surrounding what happened in 2017 which proves his innocence.
Recall that the EFCC re-approached the Federal High Court the month after President Tinubu assumed office, June 2023, citing "national security" considerations. That is code for professional but clandestine activities related to the safety of Nigeria which may not follow normal norms.
The Osborne Towers apartment and cash belonged to the federal government as safe houses of NIA and its agents.
The world of espionage and counter intelligence is often called the "dark world" because it operates outside the normal constitutional constraints to defend a nation. Agents must move like shadows to places and other nations, seamlessly and untraceable.
They use cash for all official transactions to remove any paper trail. And because, they might need to move within a moment's notice, they use various guises to buy such houses in readiness for where they need to dash to for logistics like undergoing disguises, getting needed paperwork, and enough cash already houses in such safe houses for onward movements to wherever they need to go without any trace.
It was not just the Osborne Towers apartment. Later, a whistleblower also revealed the existence of monies kept in tanks, "soak away" and roofs. These were also monies kept by agents in such buildings for the agent's operations.
Nigeria was at a critical moment of mounting insurgency and increased ter00r activity especially in the northern region. From Boko Haram, another local versions like Ansaru, Lakurawa, and the Fulani bandits emerged. Added to this is the relocation of international ter00r groups like ISWAP and Al Qaeda, issues were at a boiling point.
NSA was intensely working hard across nations to get to the trail of the Nigerian masterminds funding these insurgency from foreign countries and so, dismantle their activities It was such effort that led to the use of the private jet of a top pastor to procure ammunition in South Africa after the US declined to sell to Nigeria.
Somehow, someone tipped the South Africans off s8the mission failed. Spies break rules but they must not be caught, that's the golden law of espionage.
Now, Mega Mode Media investigations authoritatively reveal that the NIA's relentless investigations revealed names of the powerful figures and political heavyweights behind the reign of ter00r in Nigeria. The agency was preparing to makes its findings known to then President Buhari, when the fifth columnists comprising the moles within the NIA's rank leaked the information to the affected suspects.
Next thing, a "whistleblower" started singing about the location of deep secret safe houses and official cash earmarked for covert operations to the anti corruption agency, to frame Oke, ensure his removal and weaken the agency's searchlight on their activities.
A desperate Oke tried to enter Aso Rock to meet Buhari to reveal these facts with proofs to him but he was stonewalled from seeing him. Many Nigerians would remember that picture surreptitiously (who took the picture of that private moment?) taken depicting Oke that fateful day with tears rolling down his face when he was prevented from seeing Buhari in Aso Rock.
It dawned on him how far and how extensive that network went.
He realized in that split second that not only was the case truncated, his own fate was sealed and his life including his family's were in danger.
Thankfully, he and his family were able to flee the country before they could come to harm.
The change of guard on May 29, 2023, with Buhari exiting power and the incumbent President Tinubu coming in, afforded Oke to fully state his case backed with foolproof evidence. It is why the EFCC told the court the case was a matter of "national security" and the court obliged to quash all charges against Oke.
It explains Tinubu's mien therefrom towards certain personalities.
Since returning Oke to his NIA position as DG following his disgraceful ouster by Buhari would create civil service rules' complications, this is why the president compensates Oke with the position of High Commissioner to France, Tinubu's base abroad..
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