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Tag: DSS

  • DSS arrests 59 commercial sex workers in Calabar

    Fifty-nine commercial sex workers have been arrested by the Department of State Security (DSS) in Calabar, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    Mr. Ilupeju Adebayo, director of the DSS Command in Cross River, who disclosed this to reporters at the weekend in Calabar, said those arrested were picked up around 2:15am on Saturday.

    Those arrested, comprising 43 girls and 16 men, were picked up at the Peace Garden Hotel and Papsi Place, located on the Murtala Mohammed Highway, Calabar.

    Adebayo said there was a cartel responsible for luring the girls and making them to swear to an oath of secrecy.

    The oath involves a promise not to abscond no matter what or divulge information about the business.

    “We got an intelligence report and swung into action. We have been on the matter for months. We discovered that the girls are mostly underage, mostly between the ages of 13 and 19.

    “We also know that they were brought in by a cartel, deeply involved in the business of trafficking and using the girls as commercial sex workers.

    “The girls then bring returns to them at the beginning or close of the week, depending on their modus operandi.

    “We have made some arrests, including that of the owner of Papsi Place, a brothel that houses mostly underage girls who pay him N2,000 on week days and N4,000 at weekends as lodging fees.

    “They operate from the hotel, to clubs where we arrested them stark naked.

    “We have contacted the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), while investigations are ongoing until t

    Those involved in the illicit trade are arrested and charged to court,’’ he said.

    While speaking to journalists, Adaeze Abam, one of the 43 girls, said she was brought to Calabar from Rivers State under the guise of being given a sales girl job.

    Abam, however, said she ended up becoming a commercial sex worker.

    “I was brought to Calabar through a friend who told me that I would be given a job as a sales girl. She took me to a lady who I only know her name as Aunty Favour.

    “They took me to a brothel at Atamu Street, Calabar South, from where I used to attend night clubs.

  • Save us from incessant kidnap, IPMAN cries out to DSS

    Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) operating in the Ibarapa axis of Oyo state comprising Lanlate, Eruwa, Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan, have sent a ‘Save our Soul’ message to the Department of State Services (DSS) over the spate of kidnap of their members in recent time.

    In a letter addressed to the State Director, Department of State Services (DSS), by the group’s counsel, Segun Adebayo, the petroleum marketers noted that they are in a state of fear, panic and insecurity which has also pervade the operation of their businesses in the entire Ibarapaland.

    According to the letter, the fuel marketers recounted that four members of the association whose businesses interests are domiciled in the Ibarapaland have been kidnapped, tortured and kept in custody for several days in quick succession by unknown gunmen, adding that huge ransom were collected before they regained their freedom.

    The letter reads in parts, “We start with the latest abduction which is that of the wife of the proprietor of Alafia Tayo petrol station located around General Hospital, Igboora, which occured in the evening of April 21, 2019.

    “The gunmen attacked the petrol station in large numbers, fired gunshots into the air which made people to scamper for safety. Having missed the proprietor of the station, the gunmen pounced on his wife whom they met inside the station’s office, forced her into a car snatched from a customer who was buying fuel and drove away.

    The letter also included the names of other fuel marketers who were kidnapped at different times but had to pay huge amount of monies before their released were secured.

    “Other members of Ibarapa IPMAN who have been kidnapped are proprietor of Adolad petrol, Elekokan, Near Iganagan. He was kidanpped and kept in custody for 15 days in February 2019 and a huge amount of money was paid to secure his release. He was made to trek in the bush all-night and surfaced the following morning around the Nigerian border at Imeko, Ogun state.

    “Another one was the kidnap of the proprietor of Mausag petroleum, Igboora. He was also kept in custody for several days before a large amount of money was paid before he could regain his freedom.

    “The proprietor of Arolat petrol, New Eruwa, was also kidnapped in Ayetoro, Ogun state. He was kept in custody for five days until a huge sum of money was paid as ransom before he was released”, the letter stated.

    The petroleum marketers, however, pleaded with the Oyo State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), to provide enhanced security in the length and breath of Ibarapaland.

    They also urged the DSS to intensify intelligence operations in all the towns and villages in Ibarapaland because they believe that the series of abduction may have been with internal connivance of some unsuspecting individuals.

  • Court orders DSS to produce Dasuki

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the issuance of a production warrant on the Department of State Services (DSS) to compel it to produce the detained former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Dasuki, on the next date.

    Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf gave the order yesterday in a ruling at the resumed hearing in the trial of Dasuki and some others.

    Justice Baba-Yusuf said: “The information before the court is that the first defendant is in the custody of the DSS and the prosecution is to liaise with the DSS to produce the first defendant in court and in any day the cases comes up. But it appears that the prosecution has failed to do and did not provide any explanation for failing to do so.

    “Hence, I will issue a production warrant and adjourn the case till a further date to ensure the presence of the first defendant in court.”

    The judge scheduled May 24 as the next hearing date.

     

     

  • Air force, police, DSS plan joint action against bandits, kidnappers in Northwest

    The Air Force, police and the Department of State Security (DSS) are to work together to dislodge bandits and kidnappers from their hideouts in the Northwest.

    According to the NAF spokesman , Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the inter-agency collaboration followed the visit of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed A. Adamu and the Director General of DSS, Yusuf Bichi to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, at NAF headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

    Air Commodore Daramola explained in a statement that besides sharing intelligence on ways to dislodge bandits and kidnappers from their hideouts, the NAF would also make available air assets in support of the other agencies to secure the affected states.

    The statement reads: “As part of inter-agency cooperation to address security challenges in the country,  especially the issue of kidnapping and armed banditry along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari axis, the NAF has reiterated its commitment to support the police, DSS and other security agencies with real time geospatial and imagery intelligence while making available its air assets for the conduct of tactical air support missions and increasing the frequency of air reconnaissance in the affected areas.

    “The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, disclosed this today, while playing host to the Acting IGP and the DSS Director General, at NAF Headquarters, Abuja.

    “The IGP and DG DSS on arrival at HQ NAF immediately went into a closed door meeting with the CAS before undertaking a guided tour of facilities at the newly established, state-of- the-art Geospatial Intelligence Data Centre (GIDC) and Strategic Air Operations Centre (SAOC).

    “The GIDC, which is equipped with high-tech computer hardware and software, was established to enhance the acquisition, analysis,  interpretation and exploitation of imagery and geospatial information to provide actionable intelligence for the Armed Forces and other security   agencies, while the equally well-equipped SAOC is expected to greatly enhance the coordination of air operations in support of internal security operations across the country.

    “While inspecting the facilities, the Acting IGP expressed delight and satisfaction with the cutting-edge technologies and sophisticated computer software at the centres.”

    The acting IGP was quoted as saying: “I felt that as a security agency, we need to synergise with other security outfits. We don’t have the air capability but the NAF has them. With this, we can have a joint operation to deal with this security issue.”

    Idris hailed the CAS for making NAF air assets available for the operation and also availing the NPF and DSS of the capabilities of the GIDC and SAOC.

  • NAF, Police, DSS plan joint action against bandits, kidnappers in Northwest

    The Nigerian Air Force, The Nigerian Police and the Department of State Security (DSS) have resolved to work together to dislodge bandits and kidnappers from their hideouts in the northwest of the country.

    According to the spokesman of the NAF, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the interagency collaboration followed the visit of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed A Adamu and the Director General of DSS, Yusuf Bichi to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar at NAF headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Air Commodore Daramola explained in a statement that besides sharing intelligence on ways to dislodge bandits and kidnappers from their hideouts, the NAF would also make available air assets in support of the other agencies to secure the affected States in the zone.

    The statement reads: “As part of inter-agency cooperation to address security challenges in the country,  especially the issue of kidnapping and armed banditry along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari axis, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reiterated its commitment to support the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies with real time ‪geospatial and imagery intelligence whilst making available its air assets for the conduct of tactical air support missions and ‪increasing the frequency of air reconnaissance in the affected areas.

    ” The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, disclosed this today, 3 April 2019, while playing host to the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, and the Director-General DSS (DG DSS), Yusuf Bichi, at Headquarters NAF, Abuja.

    ” The IGP and DG DSS on arrival at HQ NAF immediately went into a closed-door meeting with the CAS before undertaking a guided tour of facilities at the newly established, state-of-the-art Geospatial-Intelligence Data Centre (GIDC) and Strategic Air Operations Centre (SAOC).

    “The GIDC, which is equipped with high-tech computer hardware and software, was established to enhance‪ the acquisition, analysis,  interpretation and exploitation of imagery and geospatial information to provide actionable intelligence for the Armed Forces and other security   agencies, while the equally well-equipped SAOC is expected to greatly enhance the coordination of air operations in support of internal security operations across the Country.

    Read also: El-Rufai’s convoy foils kidnapping along Kaduna-Abuja road

    “While inspecting the facilities, the Acting IGP expressed delight and satisfaction with the cutting edge technologies and sophisticated computer software at the Centres.

    “He said the essence of the visit to the CAS was to explore possibilities of using NAF air assets and the products of the GIDC to improve the effectiveness of operations to deal with issue of kidnapping and armed banditry, especially along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway and other parts of the country including Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kogi States.

    “According to him, as a result of the onslaught by security agencies against the armed bandits in Zamfara State, the criminals had moved towards the Abuja axis to carry out their nefarious activities.

    “I felt that as a security agency, we need to synergize with other security outfits. We don’t have the air capability but the NAF has them. With this we can have a joint operation to deal with this security issue”, he said.

    ” The IGP appreciated the CAS for making NAF air assets available for the operation and also availing the NPF and DSS of the capabilities of the GIDC and SAOC.

    “He also congratulated him for emplacing such facilities and making them available to other security agencies to enhance internal security operations for the benefit of the Nigerian people.”

     

  • ‘DSS not working against electoral process in Rivers’

    The Department of State Services (DSS) has debunked rumours that it was instructed to work against the completion of the electoral process in Rivers State.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had suspended collation of result of the March 23 governorship elections. It fixed April 2 and 5 for collation and announcement of results. Supplementary polls would hold on April 15 in areas where elections were cancelled.

    A statement by DSS’s spokesman Peter Afunanya, said the commission was not under any instruction to work against the process as alleged.

    REad also: DSS releases Jones Abiri

    The statement reads: “As a professional agency, DSS will continue to adhere to the principles of justice and fairness.”

    Afunanya said this was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on non-interference in the electoral process.

    He added that the DSS would partner sister security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure a level playing ground for all contestants.

  • Again, DSS arrests Jones Abiri in Bayelsa

    A Bayelsa-based newspaper publisher, Jones Abiri was whisked  away yesterday by security personnel in plain clothes believed to be men of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    Abiri was arrested at Ayabowei Plaza in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

    It was gathered that the men stormed the area with a white Hilux van and black SUV.

    Abiri was reportedly discussing with his colleagues at the secretariat of the Bayelsa Independent Publishers Association, when he was rounded up by the heavily armed men.

    A source, who spoke in confidence said: “The armed men jumped out of the Hilux van threatening to shoot Abiri if he moved, only to be forced into the van.

    “They then zoomed off while the other vehicle closely followed behind. The guns they carried were similar to those of the secret service.”

    Read also: DSS denies working against electoral process in Rivers

    Another source added: “The men jumped out of the vehicles in a Gestapo fashion while he was chatting with his friends, shouting “you are under arrest”.

    “While he was demanding to know his offence, he was forcefully pushed into a waiting vehicle at gunpoint. Currently, his whereabouts are unknown.” In 2016, the DSS arrested Abiri, alleging that he was a militant leader.

    The DSS claimed that Abiri, a publisher of the Weekly Source, was the leader of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, which threatened to release missiles in the Niger Delta region.

    He later regained freedom in 2018 following campaigns by national and international human rights groups.

  • DSS re-arrests Bayelsa publisher, Jones Abiri

    A Bayelsa-based newspaper publisher, Jones Abiri was whisked away on Saturday by security personnel in plain cloth believed to be men of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    Abiri was arrested at Ayabowei Plaza in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

    It was gathered gathered that the men stormed the area with a white Hilux van and black SUV.

    Abiri was reportedly discussing with his colleagues at the secretariat of the Bayelsa Independent Publishers Association, when he was rounded up by the heavily armed men.

    A source, who spoke in confidence said: ”The armed men jumped out of the hilux van threatening to shoot Abiri if he moved, only to be forced into the Hilux van.

    Read also: Man jumps to death in Ibadan

    “They then zoomed off while the other vehicle closely followed behind. The guns they carried were similar to those of the secret service.”

     

    Another source added: “The men jumped out of the vehicles in a gestapo fashion while he was chatting with his friends, said shouted ‘you are under arrest’.

    ‘While he was demanding to know his offence, he was forcefully pushed into a waiting vehicle at gunpoint. Currently, his whereabouts are unknown.”

    In 2016, the DSS arrested Abiri, alleging that he was a militant leader.

    The DSS claimed that Abiri, a publisher of the Weekly Source, was the leader of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, which threatened to release missiles in the Niger Delta region.

    He later regained freedom in 2018 following campaigns national and international human rights groups.

  • DSS denies working against electoral process in Rivers

    The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied that it was instructed to work against the completion of the electoral process in Rivers.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) had suspended the collation of the March 23 governorship elections in Rivers.

    The commission has fixed April 2 and 5 for collation, announcement of the results already generated while there would be supplementary elections on April 15 in some areas in the state.

    Mr Peter Afunanya, Public Relations Officer of the service disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

    Read also: APC urges Police, DSS to invesitgate Atiku’s claim to access to INEC server

    He said that the service was not under any instruction from any quarter to work against the process as alleged.

    “As a professional agency, it will continue to adhere to the principles of justice and fairness,” he said.

    Afunanya said that this was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on non-interference in the electoral process.

    The spokesman said the service would partner with sister security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure a level playing ground for all the contestants.(NAN)

  • APC urges Police, DSS to invesitgate Atiku’s claim to access to INEC server

    DID Atiku Abubakar have access to the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission?

    This is the puzzle the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has asked the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to resolve, following claims by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of obtaining information from the server.

    The council’s Director of Strategic Communication, Festus Keyamo (SAN) has petitioned the police and the DSS, saying Atiku’s claim confirmed fears that the opposition party had perfected ways of hacking the INEC server before the election.

    Keyamo said the calim revealed why the PDP was insisting that President Muhammadu Buhari should sign the 2018 Electoral Act, which recommends electronic transmission of results.

    The petition reads: “It would be recalled that an Electoral (Amendment) Bill containing the provision for electronic transmission of results to INEC’s central computer system (otherwise called “server”) was sent to President Muhammadu Buhari by the National Assembly for assent late in the year 2018.

    “Despite the shortness of time before the Presidential/National Assembly Elections, and the lack of time to first simulate the process to ensure its effectiveness in a country like ours with problems of effective networks in many rural areas and constant failure of technological devices, together with its violation of the time frame of such laws as provided for in regional and continental Protocols in terms of the length of time required for the passage of such laws before any major election, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party was hell-bent that the President should sign the Bill into law. That was the first indication that the main opposition was up to something sinister regarding the electronic transmission of the results.

    “Upon the last-minute postponement of the February 16, 2019 Presidential/National Assembly Elections, the nation was shocked to see already prepared presidential elections results floating around in the cyberspace just less than 24 hours after the postponed election was originally billed to hold. The fake results had details of the scores of the candidates of the major parties. Of course, the fake results gave victory to the candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, even when elections did not hold.

    “The only conclusion one can draw from the above is that the PDP had prepared those results which were to be smuggled into the INEC Server. However, the sudden postponement of the election scuttled that evil plan, but it was too late to restrain the release of the fake results.

    Read also: Federal Govt closes ‘illegal arms importation’ case

    “The proper elections were held on February 23, 2019 and President Muhammadu Buhari declared the winner. Despite the approval of the elections as credible by nearly all local and international observers (except some few known PDP acolytes masquerading as local observers), the PDP cried foul and made a shocking claim: it claimed that from purported results it obtained from INEC’s server, it has so-called proof that its candidate won the election by about 1.6million votes!

    “Shockingly and coincidentally, this margin was about the same margin by which it also purportedly ‘won’ by the fake results released just hours after the postponement of the February 16, 2019 Presidential/National Assembly Elections.

    “As if this expensive joke was not enough, the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have gone ahead to file an election petition against the clear victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and have repeated the same outlandish claim of having access to INEC’s server, which shows that they have some purported results at their disposal giving “victory” to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    “We wish you to note that INEC’s server is the back end of electronic records of INEC. This is not INEC’s website but its server! Although, the purported results have been conclusively shown by public engagements to be false and even ridiculous, especially as the total number of accredited voters is exactly equivalent to the purported votes of the APC and PDP candidates, this criminal claim of the PDP has revealed that It is now clear that some criminally-minded PDP operatives have access to the INEC server to be able to smuggle in fake results into that server.

    “The only means by which they could have access to the INEC server is by the criminal hacking of the server or through the criminal conspiracy of some INEC officials.

    “The APC Presidential Campaign Council hereby prays that the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services use your good offices to investigate the hacking of and/or illegal tampering with the INEC server by the PDP. The leadership of the PDP must be invited, interrogated and investigated and those identified as perpetrators must be arrested and prosecuted.

    “Opposition is healthy in a democracy but it is not a licence for criminality and illegality. A country governed by laws cannot be blackmailed or cowed into indolence by the perceived underdog status of the opposition so as to condone such a blatant criminal claim by the PDP of having illegal access to INEC’s server.”