Two years after he was sacked, the National Industrial Court has voided the dismissal of Ambassador Mohammed Dauda as Acting Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency.
The court also ordered his reinstatement as head of the agency.
Dauda, who was sacked in March 2018, approached the court, praying that he should be reinstated because his dismissal contravened the procedure of Section 8 of the National Securities Act.
By an originating summons taken out on May 11, 2018, at the National Industrial Court, Abuja, Ambassador Dauda, through his counsel, Kanu G Agabi (CON) SAN, he also claimed that the regulation made pursuant to it in the setting up, composition and exercise of authority by the panel that recommended his dismissal and removal from office as Acting DG of the Agency.
He prayed the court not only to order his reinstatement but also to direct the payment of salaries and other entitlements from the date of unlawful dismissal to the date of reinstatement.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, the trial judge granted all the reliefs sought by the dismissed DG of NIA, including his reinstatement and payment of salary from when he was sacked.
In an exclusive report by Tropics NigeriaReporters, Dauda revealed how he fought off attempts by Babagana Kingibe, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and his protégé and incumbent DG of the NIA, Rufai Abubakar; and Abba Kyari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s late Chief of Staff to steal $44million NIA intervention fund.
His sacking was not unconnected to his refusal to hand over the $44m to Kingibe-led gang, he alleged.
In brief to the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence in 2018, he claimed that his life was being threatened by the Kingibe gang and requested immediate protection for him and his family.
