Osinbajo panel to submit report Monday

The three-man panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari toprobe Babachir Lawal, secretary to the government of the federation, and Ayo Oke, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), will submit its report on Monday.

Buhari suspended Lawal and Oke last month, and directed the panel headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to investigate the activities of the Presidental Initiative on North-East (PINE) under Lawal, and to also verify the claim of Oke that some monies recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a Lagos apartment belong to his agency like he claimed.

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, and Babagana Monguno, national security adviser (NSA), are members of the committee.

There had been reports that the panel would submit its report on Wednesday, but in a statement by Laolu Akande, spokesman of Osinbajo, the committee said its report would be submitted to the president on Monday.

“The three-man presidential investigative committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, under the chairmanship of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to inquire into the discovery of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at Osbourne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos and the allegations of due process violations in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) is completing its assignment today and is scheduled to present its reports to the president on Monday, May 8, 2017,” Akande’s statement read.

Bolaji Akinyele, former minister of external affairs, has advised the panel not to make public the report of the probe involving NIA.

He said this was in the interest of the security of the nation.