A top government source has dismissed allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan against the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, describing them as misleading and contradictory.
Efforts to get a response from Ribadu were unsuccessful, as neither he nor his spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa, could be reached.
“He contradicted himself. At one point, he alleged that Ribadu requested a bribe to fund a political ambition, and elsewhere, he claimed that any money collected by Ribadu would be seen as a bribe,” the source said.
According to the source, the NSA played a critical role at the highest diplomatic level during the crisis.
“Ribadu engaged with former U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and other senior officials on behalf of Nigeria. It is well known that Gambaryan’s company failed to meet its tax obligations, which is a serious offence,” the source stated.
The official further noted that Gambaryan had disregarded the diplomatic efforts that led to his release.
“So many undisclosed factors were considered before he was released on humanitarian grounds. The NSA will not engage in public exchanges with him over these allegations,” the source added.