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Tag: DSS

  • Ombatse killings: ‘Jonathan’s attitude lukewarm’

    Ombatse killings: ‘Jonathan’s attitude lukewarm’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan has displayed serious levity in handling the killing of over 100 policemen and members of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) in Nasarawa State in 2013.

    It accused the President of not showing enough seriousness about the welfare and safety of the nation’s security personnel.

    The council said Jonathan had demonstrated that he would trade the welfare and security of security personnel for political gains.

    In a statement in Abuja, the campaign council said it was for political exigency and the aim to carry on with his “gentleman’s image”, which would not hurt a fly that the President failed continuously as a commander-in-chief to mobilise the security forces and provide security personnel with the necessary leadership to accomplish their objective.

    The statement by the campaign’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, noted that the attitude of the Jonathan administration to the cruel fate that befell over 100 policemen and operatives of the Directorate of the State Security Services (DSS), who died on a mission to arrest the sSpiritual leader of the notorious Ombatse cult in Nasarawa State, last year, was the most glaring example of how callous and uncaring the government had become.

  • PDP, DSS plot to shift elections, says APC

    PDP, DSS plot to shift elections, says APC

    There are plans to postpone next month’s elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged yesterday.

    Its proof: claims by the Department of State Service (DSS) that APC planned to hack into the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) voter registration database.

    At a news conference yesterday in Lagos, APC National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed said the DSS fabricated lies to pave the way for INEC to postpone the elections.

    The APC spokesperson wondered why it took this long for the DSS to come out with its findings, noting that it was done in conjunction with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after discovering that Jonathan’s administration had been rejected.

    He said: “We will like to tell all Nigerians that the crap called ‘findings’ is part of the ongoing efforts by the Jonathan administration to postpone next month’s general elections. Having seen the handwriting on the wall vis-a-vis the growing rejection of the PDP by Nigerians, the Jonathan administration has gone into a panic mode, while embarking on a plan to postpone the elections.

    “The summary of the ‘findings’ is that our party, the APC, had an ‘’articulated plan to inflate the party’s membership data as well as hack into INEC’s voter registration database through the creation of party membership forms and cards to match INEC’s voters register across the country.

    “Our immediate response, which was issued on the same day and which got a big play, was to dismiss the ‘findings’ as hogwash, a great disservice to Nigeria and an embarrassment to all intelligence-gathering organisations around the world.”

    Mohammed added that having studies the ‘findings’, “we believe it is necessary for us to respond to the allegations in a more detailed manner that will show that we were even charitable to have described the report as hogwash. That DSS report is bunkum, garbage, and is not worth the paper on which it is written.

    “Before you say our claim is outlandish, remember that some prominent Nigerians have publicly called for the postponement of the election – which can only benefit the Jonathan administration and delay its impending Waterloo at the polls.

    “Place the calls side by side with the apparently doctored outcome of the DSS investigations and the timing of the report’s release, and you will understand where they are coming from.”

    The APC chieftain said  the “findings” cannot stand a serious scrutiny by independent investigators because the DSS worked backwards, from answer to question, in an effort to reach a pre-determined conclusion.

    Mohammed maintained that the party was not aware that INEC has made a complaint of anyone or group trying to hack into its system.

    “We are not aware that INEC has made a complaint of anyone or group trying to hack into its system. The DSS ‘findings’ are baseless as INEC’S database is a reflection of the registered members with the Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs). Please note that at the time of the DSS’ raids, the PVCs had already been printed. Therefore, of what value would it be to hack into the system and input more names?

    “Simply put, it is not possible for the APC to hack into the INEC Data Base for the following reasons:

    “INEC’s database is not online; how then is it possible for anyone to hack into it?

    “To prevent virus intrusion, there is no Internet service at the APC Data Centre that was raided. Therefore, it is not possible to hack into INEC’s database.

    “The DSS has claimed that hacking tutorials were discovered on an external hard drive. This is a lie! All the USB ports on the pc systems in the office were disabled to prevent virus intrusion. Therefore, the use of external hard drives is not allowed at the APC Data Centre. If this is so, how is it possible for an external hard drive containing these so-called hacking materials to be found on the premises of the APC Data Office?

    “Please note that the work stations at our various data registration centres in the country are manned by unemployed youths with just basic computer knowledge. The question to ask is: Would the party have employed these people if the intent were to hack into INEC’s Data Base or employed gurus in the IT world?

    “It is clear that the DSS purchased a hard drive and downloaded the information themselves from the Internet. After all, the DSS, by virtue of its duties, should be the hacking experts, hence hacking tutorials will be part of their staff induction training.

    “As we have said, the overall motive of the raid of our offices and the so-called findings is to give the impression that the INEC voter’s register has been corrupted, hence cannot be used for next month’s elections. Now, a more specific question: Why did the DSS break into the APC Data Centre at the time it did?

    “It is no coincidence that the DSS raided the APC Data Centre on Nov. 22nd 2014, exactly one week before the start of the PVC distribution exercise on Nov. 28th 2014.”

    The party’s conclusion is that “the DSS came to vandalise our Data Centre is because the Service is working hand-in-hand with the PDP.

    “They carried out the raids to know our party’s strength, in terms of membership. Please note that after the raids, many of our registered members could not find their names on the list when they went to collect their PVCs. This is not a mere coincidence,” Mohammed said.

    According to him, “After the first visit of the DSS, it was clear to all Nigerians that the Service’s claim that we were cloning PVCs could not be sustained. That explains why they could not display single cloned PVC.”

  • Party: findings from DSS’ raid hogwash, disservice

    Party: findings from DSS’ raid hogwash, disservice

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the ‘findings’ presented to reporters by the Department of State Security (DSS) yesterday as a great disservice to Nigeria and an embarrassment to all intelligence-gathering organisations around the world.

    Its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, also described the timing of the release of the ‘findings’ as a plot orchestrated in collusion with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to distract the APC from its ongoing campaigns for next month’s elections.

    It described as disingenuous, flimsy, premeditated, partisan and an irritant the conclusion that the APC had an ‘’articulated plan to inflate the party’s membership data as well as hack into INEC’s voter registration database through the creation of party membership forms and cards to match INEC’s voters register across the country’’.

    The statement reads: ‘’First the DSS and the PDP said the APC was cloning Permanent Voters Cards at the raided office, without a shred of evidence. Now, after a ‘painstaking’ investigation, the DSS has found out that the APC was only planning to inflate its membership data and then hack into INEC’s database. And this is the outcome of its massive, months-long investigations?

    ‘’This would have been funny if it were not from a primary domestic intelligence agency saddled with a great responsibility. Can this wishy-washy report stand any serious scrutiny? Can any serious intelligence gathering agency anywhere else in the world take this report seriously?

    “With these kind of findings, one can now understand why Boko Haram has continued to strike at times and places of its own choosing without any prior knowledge by our all-powerful DSS.

    ‘’Even the presentation of the report by a poorly-trained and highly-politicised spokesperson of the DSS worsened the so-called findings. Why would the spokesperson of a national agency sound like a megaphone for the ruling party, freely castigating the opposition spokesman and ‘’a number of uninformed members of the public’’? Why does she have to go personal in presenting a report that supposedly is in the national interest?

    ‘’We have always warned that our democracy is in clear and present danger, not just from desperate politicians, but also from institutions of state that have compromised in their roles and resorted to crass lawlessness. The DSS’ ‘findings’ today have given us another reason to repeat this warning.

    ‘’While we are willing to meet the DSS in court, we can confidently say that the ‘confessions’ extracted from the arrested persons, after they were subjected to incredible acts of torture, cannot even stand in any court of law.”

    The party recalled that in its statement of December 5, 2014, it accused the DSS of resorting to the use of torture to obtain forced confessions from those who were arrested during the first raid on the party’s data centre in Ikeja.

    ‘’In that statement, we called the action of the DSS a contravention of the UN Convention against Torture, to which Nigeria is a signatory and a violation of the citizens’ fundamental human rights.

    ‘’We also said the DSS shackled the hands and legs of those arrested and blindfolded them while they were being taken to

    Abuja. The arrested persons remained in chains even at the dark detention cell where they were made to sleep on the bare floor for the 10 days they were detained illegally.

    ‘’Guns were pointed at their heads by DSS personnel, who threatened to shoot them, while a pregnant woman among those who were arrested was denied access to her drugs, even when she started bleeding due to the torture to which she was subjected by the DSS.

    “Now, the DSS has confirmed what we said in that press statement. Is anyone still surprised at the action of countries that are distancing themselves from Nigeria over human rights violations?’’ it queried.

    APC said the impending release of the ‘great findings’ by the DSS after its world class investigations must have been the reason why the agency threatened it would arrest any politician who makes inciting comments, adding: ‘’Apparently, the DSS needed to silence all so that no one will dare criticise its earth-shaking ‘findings’.’’

  • APC attempted to hack into INEC’s data base- DSS

    … Accuses party of registering infants, babies

    The Department of State Security (DSS) has maintained that the All Progressives Congress (APC) attempted to hack into the data base of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with the intention of disrupting the electoral process.

    The Spokesperson of the DSS, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, who briefed journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, also alleged that the party had a number of serving security personnel as its registered members, adding that the APC also did multiple and underage registration.

    Ogar, who did not reveal the names of the affected security personnel, said the agents comprised personnel from the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Federal Road Safety Corps, among others.

    The DSS had in November, broken into APC’s data office located at No. 10, Bola Ajibola Street, Ikeja, Lagos, where workers in the outfit, documents and computers were carted away by armed operatives.

    Ogar further stated that after investigation, the DSS suspected that there was an elaborate and well articulated plan by the party to inflate its membership data through the creation of party membership forms and cards to match INEC’s voters register across the country.

    The statement said: “One of the hard drives recovered from the building contained a video of 21 hacking tutorials.

    “The content of the tutorial video focused on the following areas; how to become a hacker and steps to take to avoid detection in the process of hacking web servers; steps and procedures of system hacking, passwords cracking, decrypting, escalating access privileges, and creating backdoors to servers.

    “It also explicitly explained how to evade security of databases such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), firewalls, and other measures put in place to deter hackers.
    “The video also outlined ways to identify vulnerabilities in systems and how to surreptitiously drop a USB flash drive in a target establishment, which when plugged into any computer, transmits malicious codes enough to gain access into and compromise the entire system of the target organization.

    “The video explains how to hack into the systems of media houses, with the aim of broadcasting fake stories or headlines.

    “It was also discovered that the APC registered under-aged persons including several infants and babies as members of the party. We know that Article 9.1 of the APC Party Constitution expressly says: ‘membership of the party shall be open to any citizen of Nigeria who has attained the age of 18 years and accepts the aims and objectives of the party.

    “The APC had multiple registration of individuals in multiples of 16, 12, and 10 and several foreigners were also registered as its members

    “Also, the APC filled forms without passport photographs, and have books containing names of people with their phone numbers and several envelopes containing passport photographs of various individuals.”

  • Ex-REC booed out of office

    •New INEC chief visits police, DSS

    The newly-posted Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Anambra State, Mr. Edwin Nwatalari, has assumed duty, with a visit to the police command and the Department of State Security (DSS).

    But his predecessor, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukaogu, who has been posted to Enugu State, was yesterday booed out of office by workers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Awka.

    They alleged that he committed a lot of atrocities when in office.

    A senior worker, who preferred anonymity, told The Nation that their action followed Onukaogu’s attitude to workers.

    She said: “This is a man, who pretends to be a cleric, yet he does not like the freedom of any person and you cannot benefit anything from him.

    “The people of Enugu State, including politicians, have rejected his posting. They said they did not want such a person, considering his record in Anambra.”

    Nwatalari assured the people that INEC would conduct free, fair and credible elections.

    He spoke with Police Commissioner Hassan Hosea Karma and the Director of DSS, Mr. Alex Okeiyi, when he visited them yesterday.

    The REC solicited cooperation among security chiefs to ensure the success of the elections.

    They assured him that there would not be ballot box snatching and disturbances during the poll.

     

  • 2015 elections: INEC has been compromised, says Junaid Mohammed

    2015 elections: INEC has been compromised, says Junaid Mohammed

    Dr. Junaid Mohammed, a Russian-trained medical doctor was chairman of different Committees at the House of Representatives in the Second Republic. In this interview with KOLADE ADEYEMI, the maverick politician who has served Nigeria in different capacities alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Presidency, Police, Department of Security Services (DSS), military and other para-military agencies billed to ensure free and fair elections have perfected plans to rig the 2015 elections in favour of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. He urged Nigerians to resist this move by standing up to defend their votes at the polls.
    Excerpts:

    o you agree with the latest statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan that the 2015 elections will be free and fair?

    First and foremost, I speak as an independent person, and I also believe that as a democrat, I must have respect, and participate in the democratic process. Simply put, democracy is nothing but election. This election must be free, fair and credible. Once you accept that democracy is good; then even the elections are even better, because democratic systems can only work when the democratic institutions allow it to work; and that in itself, also is premised on the open and honest understanding of the needs of democracy and the desires of the people of Nigeria for democratic system. Now, I have always complained that there is problem with the Nigerian elite. So, unless the political class is serious and that means that the manifestation of their seriousness is reflected in the behavioural utterances and commitment of the political parties. I cannot say how we can have what we can call credible and rancour-free election. It is obvious to me that democracy needs to be institutionalized; and democratic free and credible elections must be institutionalized-that calls into being the assumed good behaviour of first and foremost the Commission that is involved in the election (that is INEC), the Police, the other security agencies that is involved in the elections-the SSS and the military police, immigration services and all the para-militaries. Now, but where, ab initio, you have no faith in INEC, because I am one of those who have no faith in INEC

    Why don’t you believe that INEC can conduct credible elections in 2015?

    Yes, I take this position because INEC has become highly politicized; it is being governed by a Chairman and all other members who are card-carrying members of the PDP. I have been saying this before 2011; I have been saying this since 2011. Now, there is no way you can assume non-partisanship, impartiality and good conscience in the conduct of election even when it is being ran by the most competent people you can pick around and allow them to be umpires. So, if the umpire is already, ab initio, tempted by partisanship, if the government is in cohort with the party, its own party and INEC, then, really, I think he (President Jonathan) is  asking too much to say that people are going to have to live with the consequences of  an election being conducted by the party and INEC. It is also obvious that election in this country have been tempted over the years by corruption, open intimidation, abuse of office and abuse of security agencies, particularly, the police.

    You have emphasized much on the Police in terms of electoral corruption. What is your grouse with the current leadership of the Nigeria Police Force?

    Now, we have in the Police Force, the most … (expletive) Inspector-General of Police in the history of Nigeria. Can you expect this fellow (Suleiman Abba) to conduct elections freely and fairly-the man who could have the guts to go into the National Assembly and tear-gas the principal officers and other members of the National Assembly! Do you expect free and fair elections under this fellow? The answer is no! Now, when you also go further, you find out that members of the so-called DSS are now behaving no better than political thugs-they are political thugs! The kind of statements being issued by Marilyn Ogar are in fact, sometimes, more irresponsible than the statements you get from Olisah Metuh, Publicity Secretary of the PDP. Now, if this is the kind of characters we have in the so-called non-partisan security agencies, now what do you expect from those forces which are openly partisan. So, I am not a believer in what the elite say; I believe in judging the people in power by what they do and not by what they say; because if you judge them by what they do, you are likely to come out with the kind of attitude and the kind of scenario that will pervade and prevail and facilitate universally accepted free and fair election.

    How do we ensure that Nigeria gets it right in terms of universally accepted rancour-free and fair elections?

    You see, these are the kind of things reasonable politicians and patriots will want to discuss; but you can see even in the cause of attempting to discuss the issue, PDP is playing games,  Now, if they didn’t want to discuss the topic, how do you expect them to carry out their own commitment in achieving free and fair elections? How do you expect them to give free-hand to their police, their … (expletives) DSS, their … (expletives) Armed Forces and other services-what are you telling me? My advice is this, Nigerians should be vigilant and take whatever step necessary to defend the integrity of their votes and make sure that their votes count.

    From what you have said, you established the fact the government in power is capable of using security agencies to rig election. What is the way out?

    First and foremost, the citizens should resist such harassment; and they should also remember that those who have being subjecting them to intimidation by forces of Federal Government, particularly the Police, and the SSS hardly know them. So, if you get yourself sabotaged, if you get yourself assaulted by a neighbour who you know is a member of the PDP; of course, you will take necessary steps to protect yourself and unveil whatever happens. This is so because we are dealing with a bunch of characters in government who don’t know the language of civility. So, you must protect yourself because you cannot be protected by the judiciary, you cannot be protected by the police, the SSS themselves are bunch of thugs working for the presidency. So, take whatever necessary steps to protect yourself and in doing this, history will be on the side of those who would want to resist the PDP, the police and the DSS.

    The APC has alleged that people are moving en masse to their country homes because of fear of violence that may erupt during the election. What is your take on this?

    I think it is very unfortunate but it is prudent for people who have decided to relocate to their various places of comfort, where they feel save during the election, after all, life is very important because if you are dead, there is nothing you can do. As far as I am concerned, it is unfortunate that politics in our country has been reduced to a level where people don’t feel comfortable to play politics outside their home town! Now, the solution is not to mourn about it, complain about it, the solution is to force … (expletives) …in government out of power and do the necessary things to ensure that all Nigerians are comfortable to play politics anywhere in the country in their own comfort. Nigerians must be allowed to exercise their franchise and vote for whoever they want no matter where they are within the country-that is very important. If the government cannot protect anybody, then I don’t know what the hell they are talking about democracy.  The primary responsibility of every government is to maintain law and order-to protect the integrity of every person, his family and belongings- if the government cannot do that, then I don’t see any need we have for such government. So, I think we should realize that it is not the fault of those who want to go home, it is the fault of the government that has failed reasonably to protect lives and property of Nigerians. Number two, if the government cannot allow meaningful discussions with the opposition parties-then this is not the kind of government that we can hope on. Thirdly, we have a bunch of incompetent people who are card-carrying members of a political party, who are running INEC and don’t know anything.

    They messed up the elections of 2011 and do you know they were busy telling foreign media that it was the best election we ever had in Nigeria. Now, in less than two months to the elections, they are telling us that the electoral law has to be amended; I don’t know where on earth, you amend an electoral law two weeks to the election. Electoral laws are passed very early enough and they are tried and tested; and they will do some kind of trouble-shooting within them and see how far it can go; but this INEC chairman has been playing games.

    They only talk when they assume the interest of their pay masters at Aso Rock is at risk. I also noticed that INEC has nothing but contempt to public opinion. Anytime, they have programme and the public is against it, they resist, and then, they will come back and tell you this is the law and this is our own interpretation, when they found they cannot cope, they simply abandon the thing and look for something else. That was exactly what happened with the voters register and the increase which is logical-that when the population increases, you have to increase the number of polling booths but they so badly mishandled the issue and the thing turned out to be a farce. If Prof Atahiru Jega has any conscience, he should have resigned and I think it will be better for this country if he resigns now.

    From what you have said, you agree with the APC that PDP has perfected plans to rig the election?

    Yes. That is my opinion and it is a fact. The APC comment is correct and absolutely timely. This is why I insist that people should be organized, defend their votes, people should defend their votes, people should be vigilant. People should stand up for their rights and make sure their votes count-this is the only way out.

     

  • Fed Govt threatens to jail inciters

    Fed Govt threatens to jail inciters

    LEFT to the Department of State Service (DSS), the entire country should be herded into detention, padlocks firmly clamped on their mouths, their minds lobotomised into one goose-stepping whole. In spite of the many imperfections evident in the practice of democracy in Nigeria, there is no doubt that pluralism is gradually taking roots. However, many national institutions, the worst among which is now the DSS, have simply refused to imbibe the culture of democracy and its attendant freedoms.

    Responding last week to the simple but doubtlessly vigorous suggestion by Governor Rotimi Amaechi that it would be a mistake to execute the mutinous soldiers recently sentenced to death by a court martial, the DSS intemperately warned that free speech would be tampered with. Mr Rotimi had said: “The challenge of the Nigerian military is not funding but corruption. Now they want to kill some 50 officers for their own failure to equip them properly to fight terrorism. The soldiers have the right to protest the Federal Government’s failure to fully equip them.”

    The DSS however reacted in this shocking fashion: “The attention of the Department of State Service has been drawn to inciting and unguarded statements and utterances by some politicians ahead of the 2015 general elections. Of particular interest is the statement of a serving governor calling on men of the armed forces to rise up in protest against constituted authority, with the intent to undermine the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…Political office-holders must not hide under the privileges of their offices to perpetrate and encourage the commission of acts inimical to the general interest of this nation, as this will henceforth not be tolerated…This statement therefore serves as the last warning to all those seeking to truncate the nation’s democracy by their careless and obviously mischievous utterances and actions to desist and retrace their steps immediately.” Yet, this is the same secret service that kept quiet in the face of Mujahid Asari-Dokubo’s irritating provocations.

    The Nigerian secret service is not only unfortunately unable to appreciate the scope of democracy which it professes its love for, it has sadly stubbornly and self-righteously refused to appreciate that the secret service is too important to national security and too cerebral to be the enforcement arm of President Jonathan’s government or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is a national institution; and it must remain so. But it is of course at liberty to determine what culture of secret service it wishes to institute: those of former Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries (Savak of Iran, Stasi of former East Germany, etc), or the modern ones of the developed democracies. There are no half measures, and there is no midway.

  • Amaechi vs DSS

    Amaechi vs DSS

    Security agencies cannot circumscribe freedom of speech

    The warning issued by the Department of State Security (DSS) against the use of inciting and inflammatory statements by politicians in the run-up to the February 2015 general elections once again shows how partisan and unprofessional government agencies and parastatals have become in recent times.

    In a statement signed by Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, the DSS’s Deputy Public Relations Director, the service claimed that it would no longer tolerate the use of “unguarded” statements by politicians whose actions it described as “irresponsible, selfish and against our collective well-being as a nation.” Warning that no one was above the law of the land, Ogar specifically denounced “a serving governor” who had apparently called on members of the Armed Forces to “rise up in protest against constituted authority.”

    Even by the abysmally low standards of neutrality found in most government agencies, the DSS stands out for its notoriously partisan approach to the performance of its duties. Ever since it became more visible with the rise in insurgent activities in the country’s north-east, the service has made no attempt to hide its support for the government in power, even at the cost of its own image in the eyes of the citizenry.

    The service appears to believe that attacking perceived political and other opposition to the Jonathan administration is synonymous with ensuring national security. In August last year, it all but accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to bribe DSS personnel during the Osun State gubernatorial elections. No one has been charged to court on the matter. In the same month, Ogar infamously asked why bomb blasts do not occur when the APC won elections, only to become manifest when the party lost them. Even the respected “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign has not escaped DSS attention, having been described as fraudulent and a political tool.

    The latest warning issued by the service is simply the continuation of this ill-disguised campaign of calumny. Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who was the main target of the latest DSS attack, merely expressed the opinion that soldiers engaged in anti-insurgency operations had a right to protest the lack of arms, ammunition and other supplies essential to success against the insurgents. Taken in context, it does not amount to endorsing mutiny or insubordination. The governor’s position has been supported by respected retired officers like General Ishola Williams (rtd.), who said that the 54 soldiers recently sentenced to death for mutiny had a right to refuse to go to war if they lacked the necessary arms and ammunition.

    The position of Amaechi and Williams is borne out by objective confirmation of the fact that the anti-insurgency campaign is not going as well as it should have because the soldiers are ill-equipped, poorly-resourced and badly-motivated. Why else did President Goodluck Jonathan seek an emergency US $1 billion loan if the armed forces had received all that they required? If criticism of the anti-insurgency campaign is simply partisan political sniping, why has he not visited Chibok since the mass abductions took place in April? Why was Major-General Ahmed Mohammed, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 7 Division removed after he was allegedly shot at?

    If there is anything Nigerians should be worried about, it is increasing partisanship of supposedly-neutral government organs, rather than allegedly inciting statements from politicians. The world witnessed the antics of the Nigeria Police and the DSS during the elections in Ekiti and Osun states last year, when both worked to suppress the political campaigns of the APC while providing protection and succour to candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). In December 2014, the DSS invaded an APC data centre on allegations that “unwholesome activities” were taking place within it. One month later, the service is unable to come out with any evidence to back up its accusations.

    The danger to the polity of blatantly partisan government agencies cannot be underestimated. It denotes a glaring lack of professional ethics and competence which will definitely undermine the efficiency and effectiveness of such agencies. The lack of trust spawned by the obviously-jaundiced statements of people like Ogar can only serve to erode public confidence and trust at precisely the moment when they are most needed, and by extension, can further weaken confidence in the operations of government as a whole.

    Rather than make common cause with any political party or public office holder, the nation’s security agencies should simply focus on their duties. If anybody falls foul of the laws of the land, that person should be taken to court. This is the least requirement, especially in a democratic dispensation where free speech is an essential ingredient. No one should attempt to take that right away under the guise of ensuring security in the country. We would have understood the concerns of the security agencies but for our experiences with them, especially in recent years. Agencies like the DSS would do well to remember that while governments are temporary, the self-inflicted damage caused to their own reputations by their partisanship will last much longer.

  • DSS, Police Minister under fire over clampdown threats on opposition leaders

    DSS, Police Minister under fire over clampdown threats on opposition leaders

    A cross section of political and human rights activists across the country has  condemned the Police and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) for threatening opposition politicians with arrest  ahead  of next month’s elections.

    The security agencies had warned that they would not hesitate to arrest anyone, no matter how highly placed, deemed to be  threatening national security.

    The activists  said the security  agencies should avoid intimidating the opposition or seen to be working for the ruling party.

    They said the threats constituted a bad omen for the nation’s democracy, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State  saw the warnings from the security agencies as a “kite being flown by the Federal Government about the possible arrest and trial of the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.”

    It said the threats were unacceptable.

    The Ondo State chapter of the party said any attempt to clamp down on the opposition   would be resisted by the people.

    A member of the Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition and chieftain of the APC in Delta State, Amechi Ogbonnia, said the recent experience of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, with the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, was a pointer to what the federal government plans to do to the opposition.

    Warri-based human rights lawyer, Maxwell Ogedegbe, accused the federal government of resorting to intimidation, having realised that President Goodluck Jonathan has lost touch with the people and is on the road to losing the next election.

    It has become evident, he said, that the era of politicised police has returned to Nigeria.

    He said: ”The party (APC) has every reason to raise the alarm going by recent activities, especially the attack by the IGP on the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The IG of Police, paid with taxpayers’ money, has reduced the office to just the servant of the PDP, attacking those the PDP and its government direct him to attack.

    “These developments only remind us that the era of politicised police has returned, like we had under Shagari when Adewusi, as IGP, became an NPN policeman, used only for hounding the opposition. This is unhealthy for our democracy,” Ogbonnia said.

    In his own reaction, Ogedegbe said: ”Nigeria, having adopted a democratic government, must play by the rules.

    “The act of witch-haunting the opposition in any country, especially Nigeria, is condemnable. It indeed confirms our fears the President has lost touch with Nigerians and is therefore devising other subtle means of winning the forthcoming elections. Nigerians must resist it.”

    The President General Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU),  the apex socio- political and cultural organisation of the Ndokwa, Paul Enebeli, challenged the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) to substantiate its claims, stressing that it is in the best interest of all Nigerians to promote peace during and after the elections.

    He urged religious leaders in the country to initiate peace moves amongst the various contestants.

    His words: “It is not sufficient to make allegations. I think one should be able to substantiate or establish a prima facie case about that. I do not think that any well- meaning Nigerian will want this country to burn.

    “It is in the best interest of all parties concerned to have a rancour-free election.”

    On the allegation by the opposition of an impending clampdown of party stalwarts, Enebeli noted that such allegations may be grandstanding by opposition politicians to make the ruling PDP take a false step.

    A PDP chieftain and ex-Chairman, Aniocha North LGA of Delta State, Chief Tony Ogbo, dismissed the allegation by the opposition that the ruling PDP is unwilling to cooperate in making the 2015 elections rancour free, as lacking in merit.

    He said the Federal Government has shown by its adequate funding of the electoral body that it is interested in a free and peaceful election.

    He urged the APC to campaign vigorously across the country, adding that the introduction of religion and ethnicity will not augur well for the country.

    Ogbo said the opposition party must have confidence in the ability of INEC to midwife the electoral process.

    The Public Secretary of the APC in Delta State, Isaac Adaka-Adakpo, said the international community is keenly watching Nigeria and prayed that the threats would not come to pass.

    National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae, said Nigeria could only have a rancour-free election by dealing with anyone found culpable of any offence capable of causing crisis in the country.

    Falae said that anyone found culpable of attempting to foment trouble during and after the elections should be dealt with according to the law.

    He said: “The authorities should ensure that we have free and fair elections and that anyone trying to disrupt elections or cause violence should be dealt with according to the law. That is what civilised societies do and that is what we must have.”

    Also, a chieftain of the APC in Ondo State, Charles Titiloye, asked the Federal Government to see the sacred trust of leadership of the country at this crucial time of transition as a constitutional duty to be fair to all citizens irrespective of political and religious inclination.

    Titiloye was reacting to threats of mass arrest of opposition leaders in Nigeria.

    He said: ”APC as a party is deeply concerned about the pervading atmosphere of insecurity and threat of clampdown on opposition leaders.

    “Our nation must be a reference point for democracy in Africa and we call on the Federal Government to ensure that the security apparatus of the state meant to protect the citizen is not used to haunt the opposition.

    “Election should be a  period to bring about the best  leaders in our country and the citizens of Nigeria should be given the opportunity to do so without any fear of molestation and harassment from any quarters.

    The APC in Rivers State said yesterday that “the kite being flown by the Federal Government about the possible arrest and trial of the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, in connection with some of his recent public statements in his capacity as Director General of the Gen. Muhammadu Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation (GMBPCO) was totally unacceptable to it.

    The party said in a statement in Port Harcourt by its Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, that it had every reason to be worried about the safety of the governor “in view of the lessons of history, especially with regard to the late Chief MKO Abiola, who was unjustifiably detained, only to die under mysterious circumstances while in government custody.”

    Deploring the threat issued to Amaechi on Monday by the DSS, the Rivers APC dismissed it as “nothing but an attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.”

    “ There is nothing inciting, unguarded or treasonable in Governor Amaechi’s statement. The governor, while expressing his views on the factors militating against the success of the Federal Government’s war against Boko Haram insurgents in the North Eastern part of the country, blamed the challenges on corruption in the military hierarchy and not on inadequate funding as the public is made to believe.

    “It is unfortunate that, rather than accept the challenge of fighting corruption, the Federal Government has chosen to ignore the message and go after the messenger.

    “If any of our security agencies need to arrest anybody, they should start with associates of President Goodluck Jonathan, particularly Chief Femi Fani- Kayode, President Jonathan’s Campaign Director of Media and Dr. Doyin Okupe, the President’s Aide on Public Affairs, who have been making inciting and unguarded statements both against the vision of APC and our presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, whose well-known stand on corruption has sent cold shivers down the spine of the present corrupt leadership in Aso Rock,” it added.

    Also reacting, the Ondo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), warned that the alleged plan to arrest some of its leaders ahead of the elections would be resisted by the Nigerian populace.

    The State Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya said in a statement that the people will resist any form of intimidation, harassment, arrest, molestation, detention of any member of the opposition by government.

  • 2015: Amaechi, DSS clash

    2015: Amaechi, DSS clash

    Governor: my life under threat

    Security: no unguarded statement

    Freedom of speech and security clashed yesterday.

    The Department of State Services (DSS) issued a statement, warning politicians to stop making unguarded statements.

    A few hours later, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi raised the alarm that his life was being threatened.

    Amaechi, who is also the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation —the engine-room of former Head of State General Muhammadu Buhar’s battle for the presidency — did not state where the threat was coming from. But his Commissioner for Information Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, alleged that Amaechi had come under attacks, with some people manipulating statements they claimed he made to hit him with treason charges. She did not name such people.

    Amaechi is said to have remarked that soldiers were right to protest, if they are not given tools to fight the Boko Haram insurgency.

    This, apparently, to the DSS, is “unguarded”. It is one of many statements, which it threatened will no longer be tolerated.

    A statement by the Deputy Director (Public Relations) of the DSS, Marilyn Ogar, in Abuja, said no one is above the law.

    The statement said: “The attention of the Department of State Services has been drawn to inciting and unguarded statements and utterances by some politicians ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    “ Of particular interest is the statement of a serving governor calling on men of the armed forces to rise up in protest against constituted authority, with the intent to undermine the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “Their actions, which are intended to achieve their desires, are irresponsible, selfish and against our collective wellbeing as a nation.

    “It is noteworthy that similar unguarded provocative statements by politicians in the past had encouraged violence that resulted in loss of innocent lives and property.”

    Although the DSS described its statement as the last warning to erring politicians, it was silent on the action it might take thereafter.

    The statement added: “It is pertinent to note that no Nigerian is above the laws of this land. Political office holders must not hide under the privileges of their offices to perpetrate and encourage the commission of acts inimical to the general interest of this nation, as this will henceforth not be tolerated.

    “This statement therefore serves as the last warning to all those seeking to truncate the nation’s democracy by their careless and obviously mischievous utterances and actions to desist and retrace their steps immediately.

    “This Service and indeed all security agencies will not rest on their oars and are committed to the successful conduct of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria.”

    But the government of Rivers State said Amaechi’s life was being threatened.

    Gen. Buhari is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He will challenge President Goodluck Jonathan, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the February 14 presidential poll.

    Mrs. Semenitari warned that no harm must befall Amaechi who, she said, is at the forefront of bringing about the much-desired change in Nigeria from May 29, next year.

    Mrs. Semenitari said: “We will like to think that this is not the case. We will like to think that the Federal Government and its agents will appreciate the fact that this is not a do-or-die affair. Many times, Governor Amaechi had come under tremendous attacks, with some people manipulating statements that they claimed he made, with an attempt to hand purported treason charge on him. Rt. Hon. Amaechi is a responsible governor and would not at any point, under any circumstance, made the statements that people had alluded to him.

    “As a government, we have tried to restrain ourselves from unduly fighting with people, because we appreciate the fact that we are in election season. To hear these kinds of allegations and threats to Governor Amaechi’s life is a matter that we are very concerned about.

    “We are asking Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the security agencies to please ensure that Governor Amaechi is not harmed in any way, manner or form, because that will be inconsistent with President Jonathan’s claim that he does not think that this election is worth the blood of any Nigerian. Mr. President has repeatedly said that politics should not descend to a point where perceived enemies are ‘taken out of the way.’ Since Mr. President had said so, all the people who work for him must follow that dictate and ensure that all is fair in the prosecution of these elections and campaigns.

    “For us as a government, we do hope sincerely that these rumours we heard are just rumours. We hope that Governor Amaechi’s life is not at risk. We really will ask Mr. President to guarantee the safety of a governor of one of the states in this country.”

    Speaking on the persons suspected to be behind the plot to harm him, Amaechi said through Semenitari: “Just as you heard it, that is how we also heard it. It will be hard to begin to cast aspersions or suspect anyone. We will like to think that this is not as a result of these elections and that is not why Governor Amaechi is being singled out and targeted for more attacks and harm.

    “Governor Amaechi is the Director-General of Buhari Campaign Organisation. It appears that suddenly, since he became the Director-General of Buhari Campaign Organisation, the campaign of calumny against him has quadrupled. The current information of plan to harm Governor Amaechi is worrisome, but we do not want to dignify rumours. All the same, we feel that it is very important to bring it to the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan. It is very likely that Mr. President does not know that there is such a situation.”

    The governor was recently quoted as saying that if the 2015 elections, especially the presidential poll, were rigged, a parallel government would be formed, stressing that emphasis should be placed on one person, one vote. He said the elections must be free, fair and credible, which the leaders of the PDP were not comfortable with, thereby creating the impression that they were planning to rig.

    Besides Amaechi’s face-off with President Jonathan on lack of development in Rivers State and the ceding of the state’s oil wells to neighbouring states of Bayelsa (President Jonathan’s home state), Abia and Imo, in spite of the over 2 million votes he (Jonathan) got in 2011, the governor is also at loggerheads with the President’s wife, Dame Patience, an indigene of Okrika in Rivers State and the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, who is the immediate past Minister of State for Education.