The Nation Newspaper

Tag: DSS

  • DSS operatives block National Assembly entrance

    Operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) on Tuesday morning took over the entry of the National Assembly in Abuja.

    They blocked the entrance gates to the complex and prevented Senators Rafiu Ibrahim, Ben Murray Bruce and staff from entering the complex.

    The Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Sanni Omolori  was also refused entry at the second gate of the complex.

    Some of the masked operatives reportedly claimed to be acting on orders.

    Honourable Boma Goodhead from Rivers State who confronted the operatives was not allowed into the complex.

    Senator Rufai Ibrahim in a tweet said “I was just barred by fully armed, masked officers of the DSS from entering the National Assembly (). “We’re acting on the order from above,” I was told by officers laying siege on the Assembly. All entrances BLOCKED.”

    But at about 8.30am, the invasion was halted and vehicular movement allowed.
    As at press time, some pro-Saraki Senators have called on the US, the UK  and Canada to impose visa ban on Senators plotting to destabilize the National Assembly.
    They promised to submit the list of the affected Senators

     

     

  • Kashamu tells INEC, DSS, police to disregard PDP’s expulsion

    SENATOR representing Ogun East Buruji Kashamu has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Police to disregard his expulsion from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Kashamu, in a counter-letter to the PDP national leadership’s letter to the three agencies, insisted that his expulsion was a stillbirth and could not stand the test of the law.

    The senator’s position was contained in a letter dated August 6, which was addressed to PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus and  copied to the INEC Chairman, Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ogun State, Police Commissioner and State Director of DSS, among others.

    PDP National Legal Adviser Emmanuel Enoidem had on August 1 written to INEC and security agencies of the PDP’s decision to expel Kashamu, Bayo Dayo, Semiu Sodipo and Segun Seriki – all of Ogun State chapter of PDP,  for alleged anti-party activities.

    Kashamu, who is a major financier of the state PDP chapter since 2011, dismissed the PDP’s letters as one  borne out of ignorance, deceitful and criminally contemptuous.

    The senator insisted  that the PDP National Legal Adviser acted outside his jurisdiction as stipulated in Article 42 of the party’s constitution.

    He said only the national chairman and the national secretary that have powers to issue such correspondences as stipulated in Articles 35 and 36 of the party’s constitution.

    Kashamu added that there were also pending litigations in which the courts restrained the party from taking any disciplinary action against him and others.

    “Thus, I respectfully urge you to discountenance the fake letter, as it is not worth more than the piece of paper on which it was written.

    “Secondly, the National Executive Committee (NEC) could not have validly expelled me and others when there are subsisting judgments and orders of court forbidding them from taking any disciplinary action against me and the others.

    “If they had taught through their ill-advised step, they would have realised that it offends the provision of Article 57 (6) of the PDP Constitution.

    “It should be clear to all law-abiding citizens and institutions that the purported expulsion, in spite of subsisting orders and judgments of the court, is a stillbirth, which cannot see the light of the day. It is an act of illegality that cannot stand the test of the law.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, I and the others remain valid, card-carrying and financial members of the PDP. Nobody can take away our rights and privileges because the courts had forbidden the party from doing so before it purportedly moved against us.

    “We will continue to operate within the law as PDP members, senator and State Exco members,” he said.

  • Expulsion: PDP writes INEC, DSS, Police over Kashamu, others

    •Senator rejects expulsion from party

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Police Command in Ogun State of the expulsion of Senator Buruji Kashamu and three others from the party.

    Kashamu representing Ogun East, factional Chairman of PDP in Ogun State, Engr. Bayo Dayo and two others were expelled from the party weeks ago by the PDP National leadership for alleged anti – party activities.

    But Kashamu and Dayo rejected the expulsion, dismissing it as a ruse and illegality that shall not stand.

    They insisted they remained full – fledged members of PDP, saying a subsisting court order protects their membership.

    However a letter by the PDP National Legal Adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem dated August 1 and addressed separately to the trio of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, the State Director of DSS and the Commissioner of Police in the state, said the expelled persons have ceased to be members of PDP.

    The party recalled the National Executive Committee (NEC) at its 80th meeting on July 23, expelled the quartet of Kashamu, the factional state chairman and secretary, Bayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo respectively and Segun Seriki, for “various infractions and violations of express provisions of the constitution of the party 2017 (as amended).”

    It reads further: “We write to bring to your notice and information that on July 23, 2018, the 80th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expelled Senator Buruji Kashamu, Mr.  Semiu Sodipo,  Engr. Bayo Dayo and Segun Seriki from the party for various infractions  and violations of express provisions of the Constitution of the party 2017 (as amended).

    “Accordingly, they have ceased to be members of our party forthwith and lost all rights and or privileges, to act or represent the party in any capacity whatsoever. The extract of the 80th meeting of the NEC is attached for your perusal,” the letter reads.

     

  • Petition: Police re-enforces kano deputy governor’s security

    The Kano State Police command said on Monday said that security has been beefed up around the deputy Governor, Hafiz Abubakar.

    This followed, an alarm, he raised that his life was under threat in a petition to the Zone l AUG and state Director of DSS.

    Spokesman of the Police in Kano, Magaji Musa Majia, disclosed that all necessary measures had been taken to protect the deputy governor’s life.

    He said: “As number two citizen, the deputy governor deserves protection from us.

    “So, we have deployed more security personnel to his residence and convoy and we have placed another team of undercover security operatives around him for effective surveillance.”

    Also, Police Public Relations Officer of Kano Zone One Headquarters, DSP Muhammad Sambo Sokoto, said the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police had received the petition.

    The Deputy Governor, a loyalist of former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, have been at crossroad with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

    In 2014, Kwankwaso tipped Abubakar, an academic and a Professor in Nutrition at Bayero University Kano, to run with incumbent Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.

    In a petition dated 30th July, 2018 and addressed to Kano State police commissioner and copied to the Assistant Inspector General in charge of Zone I, and the state director of the DSS, Abubakar sought deployment of more security personnel around him.

    He said the state government had released funds to mobilise youths from the 44 local government areas of the state to protest against his stay in office and that he should resign or face impeachment.

  • Group petitions DSS over attempts by ex NEMA DG, Sani Sidi, others to frustrate Buhari’s Govt

    A group, the Empowerment for Unemployed Youths Initiative has petitioned the Department of State Services, DSS over plans by the former Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and one Hafsat Shaibu to frustrate the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The group in the petition dated July 16, 2018 and signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Solomon  Adodo raised alarm over plan by Sani Sidi and Shaibu to also cripple activities at the NEMA headquarters.

    Adodo in the petition said ordinarily the group would have ignored their plans but the recent discovery that their plan is also aimed at destroying NEMA is part of a wider plot to shut down the entire country with crises.

    “Targeting NEMA is meant to ensure that the Government is unable to manage emergencies arising from the breakdown of law and order being plotted by Shuaibu, Sidi and their other collaborators

    “An advanced phase of the plot is that Nigeria will then be compelled to accept foreign domination once it is unable to internally manage its own emergency situations”he said

    The group while further alleging that the duo of Sanu Sidi and Shaibu have enriched themselves when they held sway at the helm of affairs at NEMA said the situation then made IDPs to publicly protest against neglect by the Government.

    “Sidi did not only defraud NEMA but now deployed the proceeds of the corruption for obstructing justice by paying bribes to federal lawmakers to indict other persons for the theft of public funds at NEMA”he said

    The group said it was forced to write the petition due to the activities of those agents and their collaborators who finance and sponsor terrorism in the country just to prove that they are untouchable even after stealing public funds.

    “It is on record that Shuaibu lives a lifestyle that is way above her means and in recent times has been holding meetings with groups and persons suspected to be members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN and could have financed their recent attempts to to overwhelm security personnel in Abuja”

    “We understand that she had contacts with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB to repeat an outing similar to the IMN attack in  Abuja while she has also had talks with persons of extreme views with the intention of causing serious mayhem randomly across the country”the group alleged in the petition.

    The group further urged the DSS to deploy its good office to investigate Hafsat Shaibu and Engineer Sani Sidi for their roles in stealing public funds to attempt destabilizing and sacking a demicratically and legitimately elected Government

    “We believe Nigerians deserve to be protected from whatever these two hardened entities are planning”the group said

  • Court serves Dasuki’s release order on DSS

    •Family, associates await ex-NSA’s freedom

    A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has formally served an order to release ex-National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) on bail on the Director General of Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

    Dasuki’s counsel Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN) confirmed yesterday that the bail conditions of his client have been fulfilled and the ex-NSA’s family and associates are awaiting a positive response from  the Federal Government and the DSS.

    Raji said: “I am pleading and begging the Federal Government and DSS in the name of God Almighty to please comply with court order on my client Col. Sambo Dasuki. We have served them with the court order and in the interest of justice and rule of law, I am begging this government, being a democratic government, to please respect the rule of law on Dasuki.”

    Family members, friends, associates and well-wishers of Dasuki yesterday stormed his Abuja residence in anticipation of his final release from the DSS’ detention, where he has been held by the Federal Government since December 29, 2015.

    The court, on July 2, granted Dasuki conditional bail, which he had perfected fully yesterday through his two sureties, who are standing for his freedom as ordered by Justice Ijeoma Ojuku.

    Although the sureties had anticipated that the detained ex-NSA would be handed over to them, sources, however, said the DSS boss might need to contact the Presidency before finally handing over Dasuki to the sureties in compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court.

    The warrant of release dated July 16, 2018, titled: “Verification of Bail Conditions” and signed by Deputy Chief Registrar, Federal High Court Abuja, Mr. Mba Nkem A. Omotosho, was served on the DSS Headquarters and the Office of Minister of Justice in Abuja.

    The warrant of release read in part: “Pursuant to the judgment order made on Monday, the 2nd day of July 2018, granted by His Lordship, Hon Justice Ijeoma L. Ojukwu, directing various conditions to be fulfilled prior to the release on bail of the applicant (Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).

    “I have scrupulously verified the entire conditions of bail as ordered by his lordship and the three ambits are fulfilled.

    “Hence, the respondents, the Director-General, State Security Services, and Attorney General of the Federation, are hereby notified as directed by His Lordship for the subsequent compliance of same.

    “Attached herewith is the enrolled Order of the court and all the necessary bail documents for your perusal and aggrandisement,” it concluded.

    Before the latest judgment by Justice Ojukwu, Dasuki had previously perfected bails granted him by four different judges of high courts, including Justices Ademola Adeniyi and Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court and Justices Hussein Baba-Yusuf and Peter Affen of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Courts.

    The ECOWAS Court of Justice had also ordered his immediate release from detention.

     

    He ’ll be released on bail soon, says Presidency source

    INDICATIONS emerged yesterday night that formal National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki will soon be released on bail.

    A Presidential source said Dasuki would be released on bail if he meets the bail conditions set by the court.

    “We have confirmation from the DSS that Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) will be allowed to go on bail if he meets the conditions set for him by the court.” the source simply stated.

    Dasuki has been on trial since December 2015 over missing billions of dollars in his involvement in the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to early 2015.

    The executive arm of government has been severally criticised for not obeying court orders for his release. Senators last week added their voices by accusing the Federal Government of human right abuses.

    President Buhari, based on Interim Report of Investigative Committee on Arms Procurement, had in 2015 ordered arrest of Dasuki and other indicted persons.

     

    The statement then issued by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, had read “On the authority of Mr. President, a 13 man committee was set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to date.

    “While the committee, which was inaugurated on 31 August 2015, is yet to complete its work, its interim report has unearthed several illicit and fraudulent financial transactions.”

     

  • Police, DSS deployed to Benue Assembly over impeachment plot

    Over 100 security personnel were on Tuesday deployed to the road leading to Benue State House of Assembly complex in Makurdi, the state capital.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who personally took charge of security arrangement at the Assembly complex, told journalists the move was just a preemptive measure to forestall break down of law and order.

    The Nation gathered that the development followed the purported attempt to impeach the Speaker of the House, Hon. Terkimbir Ikyange, over the emergence of new political alignment in the state.

    There were also unconfirmed reports of rift between Governor Samuel Ortom and the leader of the All Progressive Party (APC) in Benue, George Akume, over the 2019 governorship election in the state.

    Some mobile policemen and Department of State Service (DSS) operatives were seen at strategic locations around the Assembly complex.

    Some staff of the Assembly who reported late for work were also turned back by the security agents.

     

  • DSS arrests school principal over ‘PVC racketeering’

    The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested the Principal of Ola Oluwa Muslim Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Sunmonu Olaoye, for alleged racketeering of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    A DSS source who craved anonymity disclosed that Olaoye was arrested after a manhunt was launched for him by the operatives of the DSS.

    Two other staff members of the school working under him were also arrested during a sting operation by the security agency on Tuesday.

    Unspecified number of PVCs and their photocopies were recovered from them during the morning raid.

    The source said: “We arrested the principal this morning and he is presently in our custody. He has been stating all he knows about the illegal collection of PVCs of teachers and other workers under him.

    “We have also spread our dragnet to other places where the illegal activities are going on and we want to urge patriotic citisens of the state to volunteer information that will lead to the arrest of more suspects.”

    When asked how long the investigation will take, the source said: “It depends on the dimension of investigation. We have recovered a lot of exhibits from the suspects.

    “I don’t want to go into details so as not to pre-empt investigation.

    “One thing that is sure is that the suspects will be taken to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

    “You know the crime of collecting voter cards of eligible voters have been going on for a long time in Nigeria, but this arrest is a breakthrough to nip the trend in the bud.”

    The Nation gathered that the DSS swoop has sent cold shivers down the spines of politicians and their agents involved in racketeering of PVCs.

    A concerned teacher said: “We are happy with what DSS has done with the arrest of principals and other school officials illegally collecting voter cards of teachers.

    “Those voter cards belong to INEC and it is the only institution empowered to ask for them on election days. It beats my imagination why principal and headmasters are requesting for it from their subordinates.

    “Has our principals and headmasters usurped INEC constitutional assignment to request for voter cards from teachers under them?

    “That card could be easily cloned through the numbers on it and that is the reason why a holder of the card should not be careless with it.

    “The ignoble intentions of those principals were blown open by one of us who values national interest far above parochial and sentimental alliance.

    “This is a lesson for civil servants who have long careers no to allow themselves to be used by politicians whose tenure is short.

    “Politicians will use and dump any civil servant doing dirty jobs for them at the end.

    “Let them be put on trial and sent to jail if need be to serve as a lesson to recalcitrant individuals who think we are at the mercy of an overbloated and exaggerated Pharaoh.”

  • Court rules on Dasuki’s application July 2

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday fixed July 2 for ruling on a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

    Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu chose the date after listening to arguments from lawyers representing the parties.

    Dasuki’s counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), argued that his client has been unlawfully held in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for about three years.

    He contended that despite a judgment by the Community Court of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ordering the immediate release of his client, the Federal Government has refused to obey the decision.

    He said: “When bail was granted to the applicant and he was re-arrested, proceedings were initiated to prohibit the prosecution from further prosecuting the matter.

    “This was fought up to the Supreme Court. The apex court gave its judgment on March 2 and said the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) is the one prosecution and since the DSS, which is detaining him is not the one prosecuting, we should then go after the DSS, which is why we are here.

    “We went to international court, ECOWAS Court, they said its decision is only advisory and not binding,” Raji said.

    He prayed the court to grant his client’s prayers and restore his liberty.

    Lawyer to the DSS and its Director General, Lawal Daura, O. J. Odu urged the court to dismiss the application because it was an abuse of court process.

  • PDP expresses fears over Abaribe’s safety

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed fears over the safety of one of its members in the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who was on Friday arrested by the Department of Security Services (DSS).

    The party decried what it described as Gestapo-style arrest of the lawmaker, saying the development has further confirmed its position that the Federal Government has commenced a total clampdown on the opposition and perceived opponents of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election bid.

    A statement issued on Friday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, attributed Abaribe’s arrest to moves to intimidate and emasculate vocal members of the National Assembly.

    Abaribe has been trenchant in calling out President Buhari over incompetence and violation of the constitution.

    The PDP noted that the federal government had yet to give reasons for the arrest and detention of Abaribe, who has been denied access to his lawyers and associates.

    The party also noted the apprehension of Nigerians following numerous alleged plots by the federal government to frame up other lawmakers, including Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu, Dino Melaye and Shehu Sani.

    “Nigerians can now see that our dear nation is fast descending into a fascist state where constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech no longer obtains and citizens are marked, arrested and detained on the whims and caprices of those in power.

    “The PDP charges the DSS to immediately declare Senator Abaribe’s whereabouts, as well as the charge against him. Moreover, the laws of our nation are clear on the process of arrest and prosecution of any citizen and not recourse to clampdown and intimidation,” the statement added.