Author: The Nation

The Department of State Services (DSS) has vowed to deal ruthlessly with terrorists, bandits and other subversive elements threatening the peace of the country.

The Director-General State Services (DG SS), Yusuf Bichi, said this on Saturday at the graduation ceremony held in honour of participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC15), at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Abuja.

A total of 74 participants of the directorate/executive cadre, drawn from Nigeria, the Gambia, Ghana, as well as Niger Republic, participated in the 2022 course.

Bichi warned against attempts by subversive elements to undermine the authority, unity and corporate existence of the nation.

According to him, security is a whole-of-society-approach, hence the need members of the public to support and cooperate with the military, and other security agencies in the country.

“Our destiny is in our hands, and it is time to say enough is enough. My Service will not allow anybody to mess up this country. If you attack our structures, we will attack you. If you attack our men, we will attack you. It is tit-for-for-tat. The way God created Nigeria, nobody can dismantle this nation,” he said.

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The DG SS maintained that it is better to unite than to be scattered.

“Let us not allow ourselves to be instigated to see ourselves as enemies,” he said.

On inter-agency synergy, he said, “Let me assure you that the DSS has come of age, and we will continue to partner with the military, and other sister agencies to tackle the insecurity in the country”.

He said Nigeria will surmount the challenges of insecurity caused by terrorism and banditry.

He said, “Nigeria is not a failed state: Nigeria has all the indices of a great nation.”

Men of the Joint Security Task Force have killed 20 bandits and rescued five kidnap victims during a clearance operation in Gaskiya Bana, a border village between Niger and Kaduna States in Munya local government of Niger State.

The kidnapped victims were said to have been in the custody of the bandits for over one month.

The bandits were said to be working for a notorious bandits Kingpin Alhaji Leyi who has his operational base at Gaskiya Bana in Munya local government area.

The operation lasted for about five hours.

Niger Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Umar confirmed the incident.

He said saying the taskforce invaded the terrorist hideout who abandoned their victims and loot.

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According to Umar, the TaskForce ran into an ambush by the terrorists at Unguwan Aboki but were able to repelled them as scores were neutralised and others forced to retreat.

The Commissioner identifid the rescued victims as Yakubu Abuba, Susan Sunday, Patience Sunday, Lazarus John and Bulus Yahaya adding that they were all abducted from Chukun village in Kaduna State about a month ago.

“All the victims have been debriefed and since reunited with their families after medical examination,” he said.

He commended the efforts of the security agencies and other stakeholders in mitigating the spate of terrorists activities in the State.

A Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed immediate past governor of Osun State Gboyega Oyetola and his running mate, Benedict Alabi, as the authentic gubernatorial candidates for the All progressive Congress (APC).

The appeal with no: CA/ABJ/CV/1099/2022 was between Adegboyega Oyetola & Anor v PDP & Ors.

The court nullified the ruling of the Federal High Court Abuja by Justice Emeka Nwite on 30th September, which rejected Oyetola and his Deputy Alabi as APC candidates.

The Court insisted that the decision for the choice of candidates rests on the shoulders of the party members through congress and could not be rendered illegal by any party.

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Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni had submitted the names of the candidates to INEC but the High Court violated the provisions of Section 183 of the Constitution and Section 82 (3) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Justice Nwite, agreed with the submissions and declared declared Oyetola’s candidature null and void.

The PDP through its counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, in the suit dragged Buni and four others before the court challenging the nomination and sponsorship of Oyetola and his running mate as the right nominated candidates of the APC.

However, on Friday the court reversed its decision, and also stated  that Mai Bala Buni as a Governor has the privilege of immunity and so cannot be sued.