TheCable

Junaid Mohammed, a second republic lawmaker, has alleged that there is infighting between the nation’s security and anti-graft agencies.

He said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is “at war” with the Department of State Services (DSS), and that there is “terrible confusion” at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Mohammed said this on Monday while speaking on Channels Television. President Muhammadu Buhari’s three-year-old administration was assessed during the programme.

He featured on the programme alongside Oby Ezekwesili, former minister of finance, and Fetus Keyamo, spokesman of Buhari’s re-election campaign.

Mohammed said the “infighting” has marred the current administration’s fight against corruption.

“Today, the DG of DSS is not on speaking terms with the person he is supposed to coordinate some of these things with,” he said.

“The EFCC is at war with the DSS. The NIA is in terrible confusion that the DG does not even go to his office, he has a new office in the presidency.”

But Keyamo described his claims as lies and unfounded.

“It is not true. These are gentlemen I know, they talk,” he said, adding that: “These are things we push into the public space that we are not sure of. What facts do you have to back it up?”

Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the EFCC, remains unconfirmed as chairman, partly because the senate said a DSS report indicted him of some practices which they said makes him unfit for the office.

The EFCC and the DSS have also had misunderstandings, particularly when operatives of the latter agency prevented the arrest of Ayo Oke, sacked director-general of the NIA, and Ita Ekpeyong, the immediate past director-general of the DSS.

But Keyamo said the perceived bickering between the security agencies is only a “difference in perspective”.

He said the disagreement between the agencies is a “credit” to the government.

“The president allows the agencies to do their work. The SSS is not looking at the body language of the president that he has appointed this person, so I will cover whatever he has done because the president wants him to be in office,” he said.