The Nigerian government has summoned the management of Elbit Systems, an Israeli security firm contracted to spy on Nigerian Internet users, for a meeting to explain why the contract should not be revoked after it allegedly breached a confidential agreement in the contract.

The management of the Israeli company are expected to first appear before two Nigerian security chiefs – the national security adviser and the director general of the National Intelligence Agency – in Abuja this week. They would then be taken before President Goodluck Jonathan, who is miffed that Elbit’s action had let this newspaper to probe into details of the secret contract.

The security chiefs will relay government’s anger over Elbit System’s ‘breach’ of confidentiality in the $40million contract which will see the Israeli company spy on citizens’ computers and Internet communications under the guise of intelligence gathering and national security.

The Nigerian government is angry the Isreali company went public with the contract, in a global press release that tipped off PREMIUM TIMES which, after extensive investigation, revealed the details of the deal.

The disclosures sparked national outrage, with a lot of Nigerians now apprehensive that their country might be sliding back to dictatorship.

A source close to the deal has told this newspaper the government is angry for two reasons.

First, the administration is angry and embarrassed that the contract, considered by government as top national security secret, has now been blown open.

Elbit announced the contract award few weeks ago in a global press release in an opaque statement that did not disclose the Nigerian destination of the deal.

“Elbit Systems will supply its Wise Intelligence Technology (WiT) system to an unnamed country in Africa under a new $40 million contract announced on 24 April… for Intelligence Analysis and Cyber Defense,” the company’s general manager, Yehuda Vered, said.

But PREMIUM TIMES was able to tap its sources within the administration to determine that Nigeria is indeed the “unnamed African country.”

The contract will help the Jonathan administration access all computers and read all email correspondences of citizens in what is clearly, an infringement on constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression, multiple channels confirmed.

On the other hand, politicians in Aso Rock are angry over the disclosure of the contract sum, and what is left of the originally approved sum, our sources say.

The administration had indicated in the 2013 budget that it would procure a Wise Intelligence Network Harvest Analyzer System, Open Source Internet Monitoring System and Personal Internet Surveillance System at a cost of N9.496 Billion ($61.26 million).

With the contract awarded to Elbit for about $40million, and the story made public, attention has been drawn to the leftover $21million earmarked for the project.

“That money was meant to be shared,” one of our sources said. “It is a security contract and no one will ever ask questions. Now everybody is angry that sharing the money is now difficult.”

Investigations indicate that the Isreali company was awarded the contract without tenders or call for bids, just as there were no public announcements.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/132804-angry-jonathan-summons-israeli-firm-over-internet-spy-contract-disclosures.html

@OP
This baseless 'news' have been making rounds for some time now, but i think this kind of trash is meant for the grossly uninformed youths who feel that government business is run like their mum's kitchen. In every contract of the nature described, there is what is called 'non disclosure clause' which most times, inherently void the contract and award damages to the claimant in cases of violation. If FG signed such contract and there is disclosure, ALL the Minister of Justice will do is to determine the extent of the disclosure, appraise the damages involved and seek redress through the appropriate channels. The President, even the President of Benin Republic have too many things to do than 'getting angry' at a firm for violating non disclosure clauses.

But then, this is NL with many ignorant but impressionable youths who just want to hear and believe that government is the enemy. Do you know how many billions of dollars worth of military contract gets awarded every year? How come you get to know of only the ones disclosed to you? If FG is into this, the right procedure is to set up a military outfit somewhere at the NSA's office to coordinate the project and award the contract as a military contract. No questions asked. That is the way things are done at the Federal level. You will never hear about it unless you have the appropriate clearance. If you have done a thing or two with Nigerian military agencies even at the medium level, you will understand this.

On a side note, China has about 3000 standing cyber army. US has similar outfit. So does Isreal, Iran and other serious countries. So if Nigeria is interested in setting up a cyber army, it means we have leaders who are taking this country more serious than the youths who should really be the ones running such centers when they are formed.

Dude, whats the rubbish you just wrote up here?

Abeg keep quiet and stop pretending you know anything about the inner workings of Intelligence because everything you put up is rubbish and shows that u dont.

Afam4evaIsASlut: Dude, whats the rubbish you just wrote up here?

Abeg keep quiet and stop pretending you know anything about the inner workings of Intelligence because everything you put up is rubbish and shows that u dont.

Well, this is not Ojuelegba where shekpe inspired gists make lots of sense to you. I am not here to make sense to people like you but to sane minds who still make use of their brains.

Frank-C:

Well, this is not Ojuelegba where shekpe inspired gists make lots of sense to you. I am not here to make sense to people like you but to sane minds who still make use of their brains.

Wish I understood what the bolded meant. Either way, I still insist what you wrote didnt make sense.

lol