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Tag: Daura

  • Buhari canvasses economic support for rural women

    The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has called for moral and financial support to rural women to enable them establish small scale businesses.

    Buhari made the appeal on Friday while disbursing some cash to 200 women beneficiaries at the women multipurpose centre in Katsina.

    The women benefited from the Aisha Buhari Foundation’s Community-Based Cash Transfer Intervention.

    She explained that it was in continuation of a similar gesture made in Daura where 200 women were assisted with cash to grow their business.

    The cash distribution was executed through her NGO, the Future Assured Initiative, which is a component of Aisha Buhari Foundation.

    Read Also: Aisha Buhari donates to women in Daura

    She said that the gesture became necessary considering the economic challenge facing women at the grassroots.

    Represented by Dr. Mohammed Kamal, the National Coordinator of Future Assured Initiative, Buhari said the cash transfer scheme was in line with the vision of her NGO towards improving the economic status of women in Nigeria.

    The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Badiyya Hassan Mashi, thanked the wife of the president for her continued support to rural women.

    The commissioner noted that the intervention would assist entrepreneurial women to expand the capital base of their micro businesses.

    She therefore urged the beneficiaries to utilise the funds judiciously.

    NAN

  • Aisha Buhari donates to women in Daura

    Wife of the President Mrs. Aisha Buhari has donated foodstuff to patients of the Aisha Buhari Maternal Clinic in Daura, Katsina State.

    Mrs. Buhari, who had a stop-over at the clinic to celebrate Eid with patients, visited the post-operation and general wards.

    She donated money to 200 grassroots women to help their businesses.

    Mrs Buhari said the gesture was to empower women to be self-reliant.

    The President’s wife, who opened the Daura Office for grassroots women initiatives, also gave out groundnut-grinding machines.

    Mrs. Buhari explained that President Muhammadu Buhari is focused on the fight against graft, even if it involvs his relatives using their position to abuse public trust.

    While urging women to be ambassadors of peace, she called on stakeholders to be proactive in nation-building.

    Some of the beneficiaries thanked her for providing succour to them.

    Mrs. Fatima Idris said as a grassroots woman, she did not need millions to excel in her business. She promised to make judicious use of the money for the success of her business.

  • 2019: Presidency replies Tambuwal as Buhari treks 800 metres

    The Presidency said President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated his fitness to run for a second term by trekking 800 metres from the Eid-praying ground in Daura to his private residence.

    The News Agency of Nigeria  reports after the Eid-prayers, President Buhari shunned protocol and opted to trek some 800 metres, acknowledging cheers from Nigerians, who lined up on his home route to catch a glimpse of him.

    One of the aspirants interested in the president’s office is Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state. He said last week that President is “too old’’ to continue to rule the country beyond 2019

    According to Tambuwal, President Muhammadu Buhari is just too old to be Nigeria’s leader, despite his integrity and impeccable character. Tambuwal stated this during a solidarity visit of students and youth in Sokoto, last week.

    Tambuwal said: “We love President Buhari and that was why we supported him in 2015 unconditionally, and while doing that, we are too sure that he will seek re-election after his first term, but when things are wrong we have to tell him.

    “We still believe in his integrity, patriotism and courage but these are not enough for a leader.

    “We all know that there is a vacuum in the government occasioned by his disposition probably because of his old age or health condition.

    “That is why Nigerians are yearning for younger ones to lead this country.’’

    However, Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said the trekking by the president was a positive response to Tambuwal’s diatribe.

    Read Also: Buhari to inaugurate $250 million brewery in Ogun

    “I think there are two things here; one is to say that the President is responsive to the enormous support and commitment of his own people that had come out in their numbers to see him and he just decided that he couldn’t go on riding in a black vehicle and he came out and walked to the distance.

    “The second thing, he is curious that these days, one or two people who are aspiring to be president are campaigning on their youthfulness and good health.

    “I think the president has done one thing today – that the issue is not how old one is but how fit he is ; how healthy he is. Now that the president has proven his fitness and well-being to continue in office is a settled matter

    “I think that if people want to campaign against him they should do so on issues that are of significance to Nigerians. The President is fit, he is healthy; he is good to go for second term,’’ he said.

  • Buhari marks Eid -El-Adha with prayers, 800 metres walk

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday joined the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk and other Muslim faithful, to observe the Eid prayers at Kofar Arewa Eid Ground, Daura, Katsina State.

    Buhari, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, had the honour of performing the symbolic slaughtering of the ram at the Eid ground, signifying total obedience to the will of Allah as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim.

    After the prayers, the President shunned protocol and opted to trek some 800 metres, acknowledging cheers from Nigerians who had trooped out en masse to attend the Eid prayers and also catch a glimpse of Mr President in his hometown.

    Speaking to reporters at his residence after the walk, the President said he didn’t expect anything less from his ‘immediate constituency’ even as he thanked the almighty God for a bumper harvest and Nigeria’s steady progress towards food sufficiency.

    ‘‘I am very happy about it (the warm reception) and I do not expect anything less from my immediate base.’’ he said

    The President who wished all Nigerians a happy and successful Sallah celebrations, expressed delight that the country was spending less on food imports, noting that it was a major boost to the agricultural policies of his administration.

    At a separate event, the President received members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) currently serving in Daura community- an audience that has become part of his schedules during the Sallah celebrations in the past years.

    Reaffirming his support to the scheme established in 1973, the President told the corps members: ‘‘It is better to know all the country than for people to be state-inclined.

    ‘‘I always look forward to meeting the NYSC team because since I served mostly in the south when I was in the military, some people in Lagos the only thing they know is the sea.

    Read Also: Eid-el-Kabir: Buhari slaughters his Sallah ram (Photos)

    ‘‘For them (NYSC members) to be brought to the desert or near the Sahel region is a very difficult thing but it will make an impact on Nigeria.

    ‘‘I have personally spoken to Gen. Gowon to thank him for having the initiative to start the NYSC programme. It is very good for Nigeria,’’ he said.

    The President formally welcomed the Corps members to the ancient town of Daura and asked them to enjoy their national service year.

    In his remarks, the Corps Liaison Officer, Jibrin Ishak, thanked the President for prioritizing the welfare and a secured future of the Nigerian Youths through his style of leadership and developmental initiatives.

    ‘‘The voice of the people is the voice of God and by the grace of God, we pray that in 2019 you will continue to be President of Nigeria to do more for us,’’ Ishak said.

    The representative of the Corps members prayed God to sustain the President with good health, long life and prosperity.

    In his usual tradition, the President, in the spirit of the season, donated a bull, 10 bags of rice and half-a-million Naira to the Corps Members.

  • Buhari leaves for Daura

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday left Abuja for his hometown, Daura in Katsina State.

    Buhari, who returned to Abuja from London on Saturday after 10-day working holiday, is to observe the Eid-el-Kabir sallah in his hometown.

    Read Also: Buhari,  service chiefs meet in Aso Rock

    His convoy left the forecourt of the State House, Abuja around 3.06 p.m

    Before embarking on the trip to Daura, the President presided over the Security Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

  • Daura: Conundrum of authority

    It is no longer news that the chickens finally came home to roost for Lawal Daura last week when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo terminated his appointment as head of the Department for State Security, DSS. The move was a shock, just like many of Daura’s own stunts in his time as the head of the country’s secret service. Daura was said to have been sacked, then whisked away through a back exit, while his security detail waited in vain at the administration gate of the Villa.

    It was a fitting departure for the controversial spy chief as he finally met his waterloo after yet another controversy regarding a blockade of the National Assembly complex by his men. Daura’s record as the head of the secret service was marred by lawlessness and disregard for authority, including that of his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari. In an administration that has been markedly liberal in its attitude towards exercise of power by its appointees, Daura reached new heights in excessive use of authority and cast unwarranted publicity on his agency’s activities, often in contravention of extant laws and superior directive.

    Unfortunately, Daura’s official impudence is not an isolated case. Most appointees in the Buhari administration seem to be working on their own clock, carrying on as if their connection to the centre has been severed by their self-importance. The most visible example of this has been in the case of security chiefs who seem to be going beyond the line of their duty in the pursuit of unclear agendas. Daura, for instance, went toe to toe with the presidency on the issue of the appointment of Ibrahim Magu as head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. While the independence of certain institutions is necessary to properly run a democracy, one expects that there should be a meeting of minds on many matters, especially when the acts of government agencies always reflect on the president.

    The ultra-liberal approach to the delegation of authority by the Buhari administration has been more disruptive than it has been productive. It is in the nature of appointees overseeing government agencies to follow directives, and where no direction is forthcoming from the appropriate quarters, there is a danger of control of the agency being hijacked by others, who may not have the best interests of the administration at heart. Time after time, we have seen the presidency dissociate itself from the acts of its appointees in one agency or another. The public has to contemplate whether the presidency has been feigning ignorance of its own orders or is really out of touch with its appointees.

    It could be this disconnect in the line of communication between the centre and its agents that led to the recent commotion at the gates of the National Assembly. The errant head of the secret service enjoyed the advantage of a very long leash from the presidency which may have opened up the DSS to influence from forces that were opposed to the smooth running of government in this administration.

    Bukola Saraki, the senate president, has been fingered as a possible mastermind behind the reckless show by the DSS last Tuesday. If there is any truth to this, it casts more aspersions on the ability of the president to manage his appointees and run a tight ship than it does on the senate president for being a cheap opportunist. Either way, the outrage expressed by the presidency, and by the vice president in particular, shows that Daura may have become uncontrollable and had to be served his walking papers. The question then remains, that how many more of Buhari’s appointees need the same treatment?

    Daura’s sin of storming the National Assembly without proper authorization is equal to the excesses of others like Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector General of Police, who has himself laid siege on the Benue State House of Assembly in a shambolic impeachment proceeding, or Ibrahim Magu who has been accused of freezing state accounts or carrying out selective prosecutions against interests not aligned with that of his principal. The outrage at Daura’s act of ‘betrayal’ is somewhat an endorsement of the excesses of these other officials and many more like them who have remained untouched despite compromising the ethos of their office.

    There is so much activity in the political and public space and one cannot distinguish between issues propelled by self-interest and those driven by public good. Many government agents find themselves serving multiple masters in the conundrum that government authority has become. This is aided by the supremacy battle between the legislature and executive which has produced a senate president who is ready to dismiss all practical legislative conventions in order to win one over the ruling party and the president.

    Whether the senate president was behind the DSS siege on the National Assembly or not, he has proven to be a chronic opportunist and master of deflection. A senate president who thinks it is good and practical politics not to resign after defecting to the opposition, despite leaving the ruling party, must be deeply immoral. Politics, like the one he practices, is what has led us into the recent political commotion we are experiencing, and the commotion in-turn fuels confusion and abuse of authority by agents of the government.

    Now that the country has seen what a lack of cohesion in government can do, it is time the presidency starts setting the tone for its administration by strengthening its chain of command and outlining the bounds of the exercise of power by its appointees in the different agencies of government. It is not enough to appoint a person into authority; there needs to be a synergizing of objectives and the activities of the government as a whole. If this is achieved, the united front on the executive side may inspire cooperation from the legislature, within its ranks and in collaboration with the executive arm to carry on the business of governance.

    Also, the timing of executive actions like that which the vice president performed last week ought to be right. Already, there has been foot-dragging about insubordination within the government fold in the past three years. The deterrent value of the sack of Daura may not be immediately seen, but it has sent a clear message to others to sit up and establish a clear line of authority before taking sensitive actions. This is one reason why the presidency ought to take decisive and timely action where it has been exposed.

    The feud between Daura and Magu is public knowledge. Already, Daura has reportedly had his passport seized, while the EFCC has been called in to investigate his involvement in the controversy surrounding about N80 billion linked to the DSS. The presidency should monitor the investigation to ensure that it does not become a mission of vendetta by Magu who may have a personal axe to grind with Daura. The country needs true resolution of issues at this point and not scapegoats for a collective problem.

    If indeed, there was an unauthorized request for the DSS to act in the manner it did at the National Assembly, the truth must be unearthed and appropriate action taken swiftly against anyone who is found complicit. It should also be noted that this is not the first time the government has distanced itself from the acts of its agents. Other cases should be investigated too and those found complicit should be punished.

    In the boiling political landscape right now, there is likelihood that the DSS siege and Daura’s dismissal could be shaded in certain ways to suit the aims of people in or out of government. It is imperative that this episode does not become a case of sacrifice of the scapegoat. Instead, it is an opportunity to tighten ship and do things through normal channels, for the benefit of Nigerians.

  • Emir of Daura to Osinbajo, We’re proud of the way you have supported Buhari

    The Emir of Daura, Kastina State, Alhaji Umar Faruk, has expressed appreciation to Acting President, Prof.Yemi Osinbajo, saying “We are happy with you and particularly proud of the way you have supported our son, Buhari, in leading our country Nigeria to prosperity.

    A statement by Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice-President said Faruk made the remark when Osinbajo paid him a courtesy visit in his Palace on Thursday.

    The statement was made available in Abuja on Friday.

    The Emir expressed appreciation to the acting president for being supportive of President Muhammadu Buhari, a son of  the emirate.

    “I can assure you that all us here, myself and my subjects; we are fully and solidly behind you and in support of you.

    “ We are happy with you and we are particularly proud of the way you have supported our son, Buhari, in leading our country Nigeria to prosperity.

    “That explains why when you talk about loyalty and trustworthiness among the political class; you stand as an example worthy of note.

    “ I wish that you carry on with this level of trustworthiness and continue to uphold the confidence that our son has in you.

    “I can assure you that our son has enormous trust in you, I want you to continue to justify that confidence he reposed in you,“ he said.

    The Emir said that the nation had never had such a government where the president and his vice operated under such high level of mutual respect and understanding.

    He said that from the onset, the government had demonstrated integrity, adding that Buhari and Osinbajo were  men of honour.

    The traditional ruler thanked the Governor of Kastina state, Alhaji Aminu Masari, for his developmental strides and pledged support for his administration. (NAN).

  • Osinbajo, Tinubu, others storm Daura for APC rally

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday arrived the ancient town of Daura in Katsina state for the All Progressives Congress (APC) grand rally for Saturday’s Katsina North Senatorial District bye-election.

    Osinbajo arrived in Daura at about 12.45 p.m. in company of the Secretary to the Federal Government, Mr Boss Mustapha and Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.

    Others, who came with the vice president, were Minister of state for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinibu, among others.

    Read Also: Osinbajo, Tinubu, others welcome Akpabio to APC

    The acting president was received by the Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, Commissioners and Heads of Agencies and Parastatals.

    NAN  reports that the popular Kangiwa square, venue of the event was thronged by thousands of people and party loyalists, praising the acting president and chanting “Sai professor mai gaskiya.”

  • DSS boss Daura fired

    Osinbajo axes security chief over invasion of National Assembly

    Saraki, Dogara cancel meeting

    Acting President vows sanctions

    Matthew Seiyefa is Acting DG

    APC, PDP disagree on DSS action

    11 SINS OF DAURA

    • Denting President Muhammadu Buhari’s image
    • Overruling Buhari, Osinbajo on crucial matters, such as the $43.45million recovered at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos and confirmation of Acting EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu
    • Alleged disrespect for court orders on ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki and Ibrahim el-Zakzaky as well as the detention of Jones Abiri
    • Determining who to see (or pray with) Buhari
    • Unauthorised deployment of operatives / sting operations against Supreme Court Justices, National Assembly, ex-DSS boss Kayode Are
    • Alleged interference in the affairs of other security agencies, especially the EFCC
    • Alleged refusal to take orders from NSA Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno
    • Row over freedom for Chibok and Dapchi girls
    • Romance with National Assembly officers
    • Alleged hostility to the media
    • Usurpation of anti-graft agencies’ functions

     

    Department of State Services (DSS) Director-General Lawal Musa Daura was sacked yesterday for allegedly denting the image and democratic credentials of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, The Nation learnt last night.

    Matthew Seiyefa, the most senior director at the DSS, took over the organisation.

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo fired Daura for deploying DSS operatives to lay  siege to the National Assembly.

    The deployment was considered by the Presidency to be “contemptuous” of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The DSS was suspected to have worked with some principal officers of the National Assembly “to embarrass the Presidency”.

    Daura is believed to be “very close” to a principal officer of the National Assembly, which has been at loggerheads with the Executive.

    The siege to the National Assembly came few hours after Osinbajo brokered an understanding for the lawmakers to reconvene and consider the supplementary budget to avoid a shutdown of the government.

    Neither Buhari nor Osinbajo was informed of the deployment of DSS operatives, it was learnt.

    The Presidency is said to have ordered Daura’s detention. He is also to be disarmed.

    The police and other security agencies were combing Daura’s office and residences as at the time of filing this report last night.

    More heads may roll in DSS and other agencies implicated in the siege to the National Assembly.

    Daura was consumed yesterday by the political intrigues in the country. He was fired with immediate effect .

    Daura was summoned to the Presidential Villa by the Acting President a few minutes before his sack was announced.

    READ ALSO  Seiyefa, acting DG DSS meets Osinbajo 

    He was directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the DSS until further notice.

    The  Acting President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, in a terse statement, said:”The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has directed the termination of the appointment of the Director General, State Security Service, Lawal Musa Daura, with immediate effect.

    “Mr Daura has been directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the State Security Service until further notice.’’

    Daura was joined at the Villa meeting with the Acting President by Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris, who arrived at about 12.35 p.m. Daura got in around 1.15p.m.

    Osinbajo described the blockade of the National Assembly by operatives of the DSS as unauthorised.

    He condemned it as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order.

    He said that the unlawful act, which was done without the knowledge of the Presidency, was completely unacceptable.

    The statement said Osinbajo assured Nigerians that “all persons within the law enforcement apparatus who participated in this travesty will be identified and subjected to appropriate disciplinary action’’.

    Daura, 64, was appointed to head the agency on July 2, 2015 to replace Ita Ekpeyong. He worked and retired from the agency before his appointment by Presidnt Muhammadu Buhari.

    An unusual security blanket was thrown around the National Assembly Complex in Abuja early yesterday by men of the DSS.

    National Assembly employees, legislative aides and reporters who arrived before 7 am met stern-faced operatives who barred them from the facility.

    Shortly before 8 am when our correspondent visited the National Assembly Complex, about 20 policemen were at the outer gate, with only very few bearing AK-47 rifles.

    At the second gate, the situation was different, with nine masked gun-wielding DSS operatives in black fatigues, along with several other DSS personnel in suits and regular clothing firmly blocking the entrance.

    The armed men who also had black face masks and hand gloves carried IMI Tavor Tar-21 assault rifles produced by Israeli Military Industries.

    Three Ford Ranger SUVs without number plates were packed in front of the gate, ostensibly to disallow anyone from driving in.

    A young man who was making a video recording with his mobile phone promptly stopped after receiving verbal threats from one of the masked DSS personnel who said: “If I catch that your phone now, I go march am”.

    Initially, everyone, including senators and members of the House of Representatives were being barred from entering the complex, but around 8am, 47-year old Honourable Boma Goodhead, militant leader Asari Dokubo’s sister, defied the security operatives and became the first lawmaker to enter the complex.

    After the entry of Hon. Goodhead, a PDP member who represents Asalga/Akulga Federal Constituency of Rivers State, several senators and House members, such as Reps Teejay Yusuf  (Kogi), Kingsley Chinda (Rivers), Agbedi Frederick (Bayelsa), Razaq Atunwa (Kwara) and Joseph Akinlaja (Ondo) entered the facility.

    Senators who entered by 8.15 am include Ben Murray Bruce, Ubale Shittu, Isa Hamma Misau, Biodun Olujimi and Rafiu Ibrahim.

    They walked in through the second gate with their Identification Cards (IDs) on their chests. All their vehicles were forced to stop and park outside the gate unlike the usual practice whereby their drivers drove straight in to their chambers.

    Why Osinbajo sacked security chief Daura

    Lawal Daura was fired yesterday as Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) for embarrasing the government, a source said.

    The source, who pleaded not to be named because of the “sensitivity” of the matter, listed 11 reasons why Daura got the push.

    They are:

    • denting President Buhari’s image;
    • overruling Buhari, VP Osinbajo on crucial matters, such as the $43.45million recovered at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos;
    • confirmation of the Acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu and others;
    • alleged disrespect of court orders on ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki and Islamic cleric Ibrahim el-Zakzaky and detention of Jones Abiri; and
    • using security reasons to determine who to see (or pray) with Buhari.

    Others include unauthorised deployment of operatives/ sting operations against Supreme Court justices, National Assembly, ex-DG DSS Kayode Are, others; alleged interference in the affairs of other security agencies, especially the EFCC on some sensitive cases, including those involving some ex-Service Chiefs, Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), DSS; alleged refusal to take orders from and irreconcilable differences with the National Security Adviser, Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno; controversy over negotiation of freedom for Chibok and Dapchi girls; intelligence report on alleged romance with Saraki and some principal officers of National Assembly; alleged hostility to the media and alleged usurpation/ duplication  of the functions of anti-corruption agencies.

    The source said: “The DG, DSS had his cup full in the past few weeks when the President detested some of his actions based on intelligence report.

    “In fact, the President had agreed on a two-week deadline to remove him. The invasion of the National Assembly by DSS operatives hastened Daura’s exit.

    “The President got an instant briefing from Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. Buhari also had the privilege to watch the siege on television.,” the source said, adding:

    “Buhari felt insulted that Daura drafted DSS operatives to the National Assembly without any covert or overt instructions. He,  therefore, directed Osinbajo to fire the DG.”

    The source gave the details of how Daura ran the DSS to the embarrassment of the Presidency.

    He said: “What embarrassed the Presidency most was the affront by the sacked DG in overruling the President on some issues. When AVM JON Ode Committee was set up by the President to probe the $2.1b arms deals, he faulted the composition of the panel, which had no representative from the DSS. He never forgave all those who made input into the composition of the panel.

    “The impunity with which he overruled Buhari on the eligibility of Ibrahim Magu as a nominee for the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) with ambiguous security reports shocked the government. The Senate relied on DSS reports to reject Magu twice. There was obvious poor cohesion in this administration.

    “When the President appointed VP Osinbajo to head a panel to probe the $43.45million recovered at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos, Daura disagreed with some recommendations in the committee’s report and raised a curious memo citing why security funds cannot be probed. At a point, Buhari alluded publicly to Daura’s representation.”

    Responding to a question, the source added that “the saddest moment for Buhari and his deputy was the unauthorised sting operations on the homes of Supreme Court justices by DSS operatives. A perplexed Buhari could not justify the arrest of the justices when a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed met with him on the incident.

    “There was no intelligence report made available to the President or VP Osinbajo; no pre-operation briefing,  and when he was confronted, Daura reminded Buhari that there was a presidential verbal directive that he should do anything to fight corruption.

    “Although it was convenient to overrule Daura but the President allowed the judges to go through the judicial process instead of using fiat to reverse the DSS.

    “The same impunity applies to the disobedience of court orders on ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki and Ibrahim el-Zakzaky and detention of a journalist, Jones Abiri. Daura cited security reasons for his action.

    “After his long medical trip to London, the President once asked Daura if Dasuki was still in detention. He justified Dasuki’s detention by claiming that the ex-NSA was only freed on one of the matters in court. He said he had more legal hurdles to cross.

    “When there was too much noise on El-Zakyzaky’s prolonged detention without trial, the DSS quickly arranged a parade of the old man to prove that he was doing well.

    “The raid of a former DG of DSS, Col. Kayode Are, in an inhuman manner was said to have smacked of vengeance because Daura was in service when Are led the agency.

    “The 2018 International Press Institute(IPI) World Congress in June was expected to fetch some mileage for President Muhammadu Buhari but the President was shocked when  IPI Executive Board Chair John Yearwood demanded the release of a detained journalist, Jones Abiri in Nigeria by  the DSS since July 2016.

    “Some ministers denied that any journalist was detained until the picture became clearer that Abiri was in DSS gulag.”

    The source attributed the removal of Daura to lack of synergy among security agencies, especially between the National Security Adviser

    “He does not have respect for the National Security Adviser, Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno and he refused to report, to him while in office. This caused a huge gap in inter-security agencies’ coordination.

    His irreconcilable differences with Monguno got to a stage that a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ayo Oke, had to intervene on why they should forgive each other to ensure a seamless security coordination. The two security chiefs agreed to work together but the truce collapsed, The Nation learnt.

    Daura’s outstanding moments were in securing freedom for Chibok and Dapchi girls, but there were issues on the negotiation, with insurgents.

    “When a journalist with Daily Independent, Tony Ezimakor, reported the issues on the international dimension to the negotiation, the DSS wasted no time in detaining him.

    “In the past two weeks, some organizations had been advertising in some dailies to ask the Presidency to revisit the negotiations.”

    The source also alleged that Daura had allegedly tried to interfere with the investigation of some high-profile suspects, scuh a former Chief of Army Staff, by the EFCC.

    He was also accused of pettiness  on security issues.

    “The crux of the matter between the DSS and EFCC bordered on moves by the former to cause a stay of action on some cases. At a point, the DG became uncomfortable that Magu was not taking instructions from him. The battle line was drawn between Daura and Magu when the EFCC started probing the tenure of a former DG of DSS, Mr. Ita Ekpenyong, and discovered that Ekpenyong left huge funds in the accounts of the agency, contrary to the allegation that he diverted same. Daura felt Magu was after him because he was introduced to the President by the NSA.

    “Even when peace was initiated, he told Magu that his rank was not worth more than an Assistant Superintendent of Police in DSS cadre. Also, he reminded Magu that he wrote the position paper which led to the establishment of EFCC and he coordinated the take-off of the anti-graft commission.

    “It was the same venom with which he opposed the clearance of Magu by the Senate. As if he was not done with the Acting EFCC chairman, an operative  stopped him a few weeks ago from joining the President at  the mosque at the Presidential Villa based on orders from the DSS headquarters.

    “The same ill-treatment was meted out to Sen. Ali Ndume when he was prevented from praying at the mosque by DSS.

    “As we speak,  the accreditation of a journalist with The Punch, Olalekan Adetayo, has not been restored because of security reasons cited by DSS DG in spite of intervention by some media aides.

    “At intelligence meetings with top editors, Daura assumed unusual airs. He once told editors that if he wanted to cause a crisis in Nigeria, he can do it within five minutes.

    The source explained that in the last few months, the Presidency had been uncomfortable with Daura when it discovered that he had been very close to a principal officer of the National Assembly.

    “President Buhari initially ignored the alleged romance between Daura and the principal officer until it became evident that the officer and his loyalists have more intelligence about government than meet the eye.”

    DAURA  DETAINED

    Our correspondent could not locate where Daura was detained after his arrest. But a reliable source said: “The initial steps taken by the Presidency was to disarm Daura because a DG of DSS has a lot of arms and ammunition under his control.

    “He was arrested and detained to enable the police and other agencies to mop up arms and ammunition under his care.

    “All I can tell you is that he is in a safe location.”

     

  • Falana to Fed Govt: probe allegations against Daura

    RIGHTS lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the Federal Government to probe allegations of human rights violations, abuse of office and corruption, which marred the tenure of ex-Department of State Services (DSS) Director-General Lawal Daura.

    Falana, in a short statement yesterday, said: “I had a running battle with Daura over the illegal detention of many detainees, including Zamfara legislators, two Indian nationals, politicians, student leaders, journalists etc.

    “He prevented the Federal Government from complying with the orders of the court to release former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), Ibraheem Elzakzaky and his wife, Zeinab Elzakzaky.

    “He housed the fugitive, Abdurasheed Maina. He countermanded the nominations of the President and colluded with fifth columnists to sabotage the democratic process. Allegations of human rights violations, abuse of office and corruption, which marred Daura’s tenure should be fully investigated.”