‘Terrorists after us’ says NFIU
The NFIU The Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has revealed that it bought bullet proof cars because terrorists are after their lives.
Chief Executive Officer of NFIU Modibbo Hamman Tukur made this disclosure in his response to allegations that the Unit.
Tukur in his response to allegations that he bought armoured vehicles under questionable circumstances said “bad people including terrorists are going after our lives”.
He explained the procurement process at the NFIU. According to Tukur, “the money for procurement is only based at the GIFMIS and can never be accessed without due process and approval by the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP)”.
“BPP and the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation and other investigating agencies have a role in procurement and also ensuring all procured items are delivered”.
The NFIU boss also explained that the NFIU Headquarters project being built within the vicinity of the Aso Rock Villa “is a CBN Intervention Project approved by President Muhammadu Buhari”.
He said the NFIU is not “involved with the funding or approval of the project”.
The NFIU Headquarters project he said “was officially investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)”, as a result, “allegations that Julius Berger is procuring my farm equipment from the U.S does not even arise”.
Defending himself, Tukur insisted that he has “never received and will never receive monies from Julius Berger because they are not handling the project for the NFIU”.
Tukur said “the false allegation is very embarrassing to me and possibly Julius Berger as a company because there is no link completely”.
Regarding allegations of shady employments being perpetrated at the NFIU, Tukur said “the NFIU is a new agency with its salary based at the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)”.
“It is therefore, NOT possible to recruit and pay any applicant without written approval issued by the President and Commander in Chief, a confirmation of availability of funds by the Director General Budget Office, a Certificate of Compliance by the Chairman Federal Character Commission and additional approval by the Honorable Minister of Finance”.
Tukur also responded to claims that he was being investigated by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for violating asset declaration rules.
Tukur said he has been declaring his assets since his day as an EFCC Staff.
He staff of the EFCC initially were mandated to declare their assets internally “before we discarded it and upgraded to CCB reporting requirements. Any staff who worked at the EFCC in the last ten years including the former chairmen can confirm that. The CCB wrote the EFCC to request for my records”.
Speaking to his numerous bank accounts, Tukur admitted that he has four to five “accounts in banks and they are all in my BVN including GBP, USD and Naira Accounts.
He said he “officially earns N60 Million Naira”. He then wondered why questions will be raised over his “one year transactions of 100 million naira including 36 million paid to me as arrears by the federal government”.
The integrity of the NFIU Tukur said remains unimpeachable stressing that “in 2022 the NFIU won the best FIU Award at the United Nations and World Bank and three different awards at ECOWAS.
“Presently the Director of Financial Investigation at the Interpol and a leading IT Officer at Egmont Group were seconded from the NFIU” he said.
He described the allegations against him as “desperate smear campaign to tarnish my four and half years at the NFIU without any earlier negative reports’.
