The three-man presidential committee investigating the discovery of $43.4m by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, Thursday quizzed the acting chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) had made a claim of the funds.

The investigation is also to enquire into the circumstances in which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by whose or which authority the funds were made available to the NIA, and to establish whether or not there has been a breach of the law or security procedure in obtaining custody and use of the funds.

After facing the panel for over one hour at the Vice President’s Wing of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, Magu later headed for the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.

The committee, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, also interrogated the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Malam Lawal Daura, over the issue.

None of them spoke to State House correspondents before leaving the Presidential Villa.

The committee, comprising Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami and National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno, is also investigating the allegations of violations of law and due process made against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday suspended Lawal and the Director-General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, pending the outcome of the investigations.

Meanwhile, the governor of Adamawa State, Jubrila Bindo, yesterday met behind closed-doors with Osinbajo at the State House in Abuja.

The governor was accompanied by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Musa Bello.

Although the governor did not speak to journalists, Presidency sources told our correspondent that he was at the Villa “mainly” to thank the vice president for commissioning projects in the state last Thursday.

One of the sources dispelled the speculation that the governor met the vice president over the suspension of his kinsman, Babachir Lawal. (Daily Trust)

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