July 12, (THEWILL) – Confirming a 1st March 2021 exclusive by THEWILL, the National Assembly has approved N4.87 billion for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to track, intercept and monitor calls and messages on mobile devices, including Thuraya and WhatsApp.
Although THEWILL report had captured the budget for the invasive “BIG BROTHER Technology” at N3 billion, the approved higher amount of N4.87 billion, indications show, has been dictated by inflation and a fallen naira.
The amount is part of the N895.8 billion supplementary budget submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari last month but for which both chambers of the National Assembly last week approved the higher sum of N982,729, 695, 343.
The budget, according to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Barau Jibrin, is meant to procure equipment for the military and to fight further spread of COVID-19.
THEWILL gathered that the NIA would spend N2,938,650,000 on the Thuraya interception solution, while the WhatsApp interception solution would gulp N1,931,700,000.
Apart from this, the NIA got additional N129 million to enable its personnel embark on foreign training.
The Defence Intelligence Agency, on its part, got a capital vote of N16.8 billion to provide infrastructure, cyber intelligence centre/laboratory, independent lawful intercept platform (voice and advanced data monitoring) and tactical mobile geological platform.
Out of the N33.6 billion approved for the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs as recurrent expenditure, the sum of N200m has been set aside to fumigate 19 police training institutes across the country.
The sum of N4.1 billion was set aside for the feeding of trainees, while their allowances and salaries would gulp N910 million.
Teaching allowances for training and support staff was put at N257 million, while monitoring and evaluation of training would gulp N582 million.
The Nigeria Police Force will also spend N2.2 billion on other logistics and consumables.
In its capital component, the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs will spend N8.5 billion to procure ballistic helmets, bulletproof vests and utility vehicles.
The Police Affairs ministry also got N22.5 billion vote to procure drones, ammunition, discreet intelligence equipment and other requirements.
The Defence Headquarters got N3.7 billion to take care of additional 2,700 troops and execute the Cimic Quick Impact project, among others.
The DHQ, in the capital component of the budget, got N33.6 billion to buy arms, ammunition, vehicles, generators, combat motorcycles, communication equipment and clothing, among others.
The Nigerian Army headquarters got a total N 1.590 billion as ration cash allowance/operation allowances, petroleum oil lubricants, contingency, monitoring and training, among others.
The capital vote of the Army headquarters is put at N207 billion to buy arms, ammunition, vehicles, surveillance equipment, body armour/protection and all classes of tyres, among other equipment.
The breakdown of the supplementary budget further showed that the Nigerian Navy got N5.9 billion to fuel capital ships and Helo.
The Nigerian Navy, however, got a capital vote of N157.7 billion to procure vehicles, arms, ammunition, power supply, general hardware, body armour/protection, surveillance equipment and other requirements.
The Nigerian Air Force, on its part, got N8.2 billion to carry out aircraft maintenance, fuelling and construction of airfield facilities, among others.
It also got a capital vote of N239 billion to buy additional aircraft, arms, rehabilitation of barracks, special vehicles and others.
The Defence Space Administration got a capital vote of N43.3 billion to provide satellite imaging, cyber security, tracking equipment, drones, infrastructure and vehicles.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps got a capital vote of N14.8 billion to purchase vehicles, communication equipment, arms and ammunition, among others.
The Office of the National Security Adviser got N17 billion to complete its counter-terrorism centre.
In its March 1 investigative exclusive, under its lead story, “BE WARNED: ‘Big Brother’ Is Coming For You – DSS Acquires N3 Billion WhatsApp Bugging Technology,” THEWILL had reported that the secret service would be acquiring the super-sophisticated BIG BROTHER technology capable of giving secret agents limitless, round-the-clock access to citizens encrypted WhatsApp mobile application as part of an invasive surveillance of the country’s 170 million phone subscribers and 122 million internet users.
