A former Nigeria Ambassador to the Chad Republic, Mohammed Dauda, Saturday, set the record straight on why he has remained silent over what he called vile allegations leveled against him.
Dauda’s response which came via a statement personally signed by him was coming less than 72 hours after an Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal delivered a verdict in his favour.
In the statement dated 23rd June 2023 and titled, Re: “Mohammed Dauda Unmasking The Face Behind Frivolous NIA Petitions: The Right To Reply,” the embattled former acting director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) insisted that he is a professional with verifiable records.
Dauda said: “Let me start by stating that I am a patriotic Nigerian, who, as a loyal and dedicated officer of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, has never done and will never do anything detrimental to National Security and Integrity of Nigeria. I must confess that Nigeria: my dear country has done so much for me, for which I have also put in my best, in service throughout my career in the public service. I have no grudge whatsoever against the NIA or the Government as institutions.
I owe a lot to my country.
“In the last four years or there about, since I left the service of the NIA: albeit unceremoniously, I have been under tremendous pressure from friends and well-wishers, to counter the propaganda being orchestrated by media hirelings of the leadership of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), against me. But, knowing that, they were mere attempts to cover up the crass ineptitude, nepotism, impunity, tyranny and administrative rascality and impunity, that is taking place at the nation’s apex Intelligence agency, I often did not find it necessary to respond to some of the vile allegations.
“Although it is an open secret that the NIA has been suffering bad press, following my removal as the Ag. Director General and my subsequent purported dismissal from the NIA, I find it rather strange, that I am being painted as the culprit behind the negative media, to the extent that I have been branded a saboteur of National Security, for choosing to remain silent in the face of all the vilifications. An issue that the FCA has cleared me thoroughly.
“It is a universal truism, that, when lies are repeatedly told and allowed to fester for too long, without any form of exposure, challenge or contradiction, some gullible minds are bound to begin seeing and believing such lies as being the truth. It is in the face of this fact, and the continuous recirculation of these falsehood, that I have chosen to reluctantly respond to some of the fallacies being repeatedly circulated in the media, to the effect that, I have been the masked face behind petitions, or write-ups that pose security risks. Sometimes silence is not golden, especially when it is about protecting one’s integrity and countering falsehood.”
