Why NIA, DSS, EFCC will continue to clash – NSA

The National Security Adviser (NSA) Major General Babagana
Monguno (rtd) said the country’s intelligence agencies would
continue to clash unless the National Security Agencies Decree 1986
is amended.

Monguno was quoted in a report of the Senate ad-hoc committee
that probed the clash between officials of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Service
(DSS) and Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) last year.

The agencies clashed last year when EFCC operatives attempted to
arrest Mr Ayodele Oke, a former DG of NIA and Mr Ita Ekpeyong, a
former DG of the DSS.

The NSA while expressing concern over the lack of unity and
cooperation among intelligence agencies in the country said the
situation has led to, “The current state of disjointedness and
disharmony amongst sister agencies. This resulted due to the
National Security Agencies Decree 1986; Cap 278, Cap 278 LFN
section 14 01-2 which has stripped the NSA of the power to check
the other Security Agencies that have now become independent of his
office due to their now ‘easy’ access to the President. Thus, there
is a desperate need to streamline the Agencies and make them
answerable to the NSA.”

Monguno told senators that the President was aware of the state
of things and also presented evidences of instances where his
duties were usurped due to lack of discipline exhibited by Security
Agencies.

He disclosed that he was not aware of the EFCC chairman’s move
to arrest any of the former intelligence chiefs until after the
media reports and that the resistance made by the Security Agencies
during the arrest cast some aspersions.

The Senate had while considering the report of the panel chaired
by Senator Francis Alimikhena (APC, Edo) resolved to initiate the
amendment of the act with a view to giving powers of control to the
Coordinator on National Security over these agencies on behalf of
the President.

The National Security Adviser (NSA) Major General Babagana
Monguno (rtd) said the country’s intelligence agencies would
continue to clash unless the National Security Agencies Decree 1986
is amended.

Monguno was quoted in a report of the Senate ad-hoc committee
that probed the clash between officials of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Service
(DSS) and Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) last year.

The agencies clashed last year when EFCC operatives attempted to
arrest Mr Ayodele Oke, a former DG of NIA and Mr Ita Ekpeyong, a
former DG of the DSS.

The NSA while expressing concern over the lack of unity and
cooperation among intelligence agencies in the country said the
situation has led to, “The current state of disjointedness and
disharmony amongst sister agencies. This resulted due to the
National Security Agencies Decree 1986; Cap 278, Cap 278 LFN
section 14 01-2 which has stripped the NSA of the power to check
the other Security Agencies that have now become independent of his
office due to their now ‘easy’ access to the President. Thus, there
is a desperate need to streamline the Agencies and make them
answerable to the NSA.”

Monguno told senators that the President was aware of the state
of things and also presented evidences of instances where his
duties were usurped due to lack of discipline exhibited by Security
Agencies.

He disclosed that he was not aware of the EFCC chairman’s move
to arrest any of the former intelligence chiefs until after the
media reports and that the resistance made by the Security Agencies
during the arrest cast some aspersions.

The Senate had while considering the report of the panel chaired
by Senator Francis Alimikhena (APC, Edo) resolved to initiate the
amendment of the act with a view to giving powers of control to the
Coordinator on National Security over these agencies on behalf of
the President.