The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has reacted to a letter by the former acting chairman of the agency, Mohammed Dauda, through his lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), alleging moves to arrest him.
Agabi’s letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), dated January 8, 2022, was copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Department of State Service (DSS) and Inspector General of Police (IGP).
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But replying to the letter, counsel to NIA, Wale Adesokan (SAN), expressed concern about the unethical approach of writing to Malami and others without copying the lawyers to the agency.
While refuting the claim that the NIA was planning to arrest Dauda, the lawyer said the agency was aware and alive to its mandate in discharging its responsibility.
He said the suit Dauda instituted at the National Industrial Court, which judgement of October 2020 the NIA has appealed, only challenged his dismissal from NIA and not his removal as acting DG.
“Finally, it is unthinkable that our clients who are the appellants in the pending appeals will be the ones taking steps or doing any act calculated at undermining or compromising their appeals,” he said.
Dauda was removed as acting DG and later dismissed from service on March 6, 2018, which he challenged and obtained a judgement of the National Industrial Court nullifying his dismissal. But the NIA appealed against the judgement.