From: Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

In order to meet next week’s deadline as mandated by President Muhammadu Buhari, ‎the Presidential Investigative Panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday resumed sitting at the State House, Abuja.

The panel, mandated to probe the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal and the suspended Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke, has had four meetings so far.

It is investigating Lawal over allegations of violations of law and due process in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE).

The panel is also probing Oke’s link to the   large amounts of foreign and local currencies discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The committee had grilled Oke on Monday for about 10 hours while Lawal appeared before the committee for about 2 hours on Tuesday.

Those in attendance at the closed door meeting of the panel, which started around 11.30a.m. on Friday included the members of the panel, National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

The committee is expected to invite any private or public official linked to the allegations but Friday meeting started with just the Chairman and members of the panel.