By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Tinubu made some ambassadorial appointments yesterday.

The appointment which was for three persons, sparked controversial takes on the social media; making many questioning the credibility of Ayodele Oke, one of the three appointed, for such position.

Who Is Ayodele Oke And What Is His Past?

Ayodele Oke was born in Oyo state. He was previously the Director (Regions) at the headquarters of the NIA, and before that, he served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. Oke succeeded Ezekiel Olaniyi Oladeji as director general of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency in November 2013, when he was appointed by the then President Goodluck Jonathan.

“On February 7, the Federal High Court in Lagos issued a warrant for the arrest of Ayodele Oke, former director general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and his wife Folasade following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Just before they were due to appear in court, they apparently left the country for “medical treatment,” and the Nigeria media is not reporting where they are now. The EFCC has declared the couple wanted after their failure to respond to a court summons,” Council On Foreign Relations reported.

In April 2017, Oke was suspended by president Muhammadu Buhari after anti-corruption officers from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission found more than US$43 million (£34m) in an apartment connected to him at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos. Another charge related to $160 million that the couple allegedly diverted from the Nigerian federal government for their own use was recorded. On 30 October, Oke was finally dismissed by the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari after consideration of the report of the investigative committee headed by the Vice President.

In June 2023, Premium Times citing unnamed “inside sources” reported that the NIA DG Ahmed Abubakar and the chairman of the EFCC Abdul Rasheed Bawa met and resolved to terminate the legal proceeding against Oke in the “interest of national security”.The resolution was then presented to President Muhammadu Buhari who approved it and ordered the termination of the case before the expiration of his tenure. On 9 June 2023, the case was struck out by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos following prosecutor’s (EFCC) motion to withdraw the case.

Holding Oke to his past deeds, Nigerians frowned at his appointment by the President and hence demand a review.