The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has been fingered in the alleged disappearance of $40 million (N13.6billion) which was approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration for the negotiation of the Chibok girls’ release.
According to The Nation, the ONSA had attempted to strike a deal with Boko Haram insurgents for a ceasefire, however, the deal went awry because the terrorist were uninterested in such an arrangement.
The whereabouts of the cash intended for the deal is currently unknown and this has prompted a probe by the current federal government.
A source privy to the situation told The Nation that, ”The government is probing how about $40million was allegedly spent by the administration of ex-President Jonathan to ‘negotiate’ with Boko Haram. The cash was allegedly withdrawn from the ONSA account by a former presidential aide.”
“The said aide alleged that the cash was routed through the Presidents of a neighbouring country, but preliminary tracking showed that the money might have been diverted.”
“Many people have been linked with the negotiation, but the government, through relevant anti-graft agencies, is trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the funds. We have started inviting those connected with the deal for interaction.”
“Even the ex-President in January 2016 said in an interview with a news website, Quartz, in Geneva, Switzerland that his administration did not set up any negotiation team.”
”So, there could not have been any sum spent on negotiation with Boko Haram, if there was no deal with the sect. You can see that the ongoing investigation of $15billion arms deal in the ONSA has many dimensions.”
“The main objective of the government is to recover the $40million.”
It will be recalled that the National Security Adviser under President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki, is currently facing criminal trial for allegedly misappropriating $2.1 billion intended for the purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram.
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