The Senate on Wednesday, came hard on the Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) over the near fisticuffs exhibited by their operatives on Tuesday.
The upper chamber described as “an unwarranted embarrassment to the country” the reported clash of the sister securities agencies in an attempt to effect the arrest of a former Director General of DSS, Mr. Ita Ekpeyong in his Maitama Abuja home.
The lawmakers said that the same unhealthy scenario played in the residence of former Director General of NIA, Mr. Ayo Oke when EFCC operatives attempted to arrest the former NIA boss for questioning.
After bashing the three agencies for unnecessary inter agency rivalry, the lawmakers resolved to constitute an ad-hoc committee to investigate the circumstances led to “the embarrassing situation and national disaster.”
The resolution followed a point of Order raised by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West.)
Melaye drew the attention of the Senate to the reported standoff between the EFCC and DSS operatives on Tuesday over attempts by the later to arrest Ekpeyong.
He said that the same war-like scenario was repeated in the residence of former NIA DG, Oke, when EFCC operatives were resisted by NIA operatives from arresting the sacked DG.
Melaye told the Senate that the scene created by the security operatives embarrassed the country before the international community.
The Kogi West senator noted that if nothing was done to nip such problem in the bud, it could degenerate into a national disaster.
Melaye said: “The EFCC went to the residence of the former Director General of the DSS, Ita Ekpeyong to effect an arrest. The DSS stopped the EFCC from arresting him. That created an environmental brouhaha. The whole environment and neighbours were stopped from lawfully gaining entrance into their homes because of this confusion.
“Same Tuesday, the EFCC wanted to arrest the former Director-General of NIA, Mr. Oke. Also, the officers of the Nigeria Intelligence agency stopped that arrest.
“We are not here to say who is to blame. We have been embarrassed before the international community. That two sister agencies will engage in a fisticuffs is a national embarrassment. Arrest and stoppage of arrests is bad. Mr. President, this is a recipe for national disaster.”
Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi, who seconded the motion lamented that it appeared that nobody was in charge in the country.
Olujimi urged President Muhammadu Buhari to rise to the occasion and take charge by calling heads of security agencies to order.
She said, “Right now, we have a situation whereby nobody is in charge of anything and we cannot honestly blame anyone for what is happening. The truth is that you cannot go to the house of a security agent, a man who had kept the secrets of Nigeria for so long and just try to arrest him like a chicken.
“There has to be someone that we can hold responsible when two brothers are fighting. The person that is supposed to be held responsible has not done any thing, he is not doing his work. This is the first time we will see gross irresponsibility in government whereby there is no arbiter.
“No one to come in between two agencies that belong to only one person. The two agencies report to one person, the Presidency and now we find them fighting on the pages of the newspapers. Its a shame. We are calling on the President. He has to sit up. He should be up and doing. Call these people to order.
“You will remember that we rejected Mr. Magu and up till today, nothing has been said about it. Something has to be done. The Presidency has to be called to order. Nobody is in charge of this government. Nobody is in charge and somebody needs to be in charge.”
The Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan countered Olujimi’s submission.
Lawan who said that there was no doubt that President Buhari is fully in charge added that even when President Buhari was out of the country on medical ground, the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, was also fully in charge.
Lawan said: “It is one rare motion brought by Senator Dino Melaye. I support that position. But let me say this that President Muhamadu Buhari is in full control of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Even when Mr. President was away to attend to his health, the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was in full control. The statement by our colleague is unacceptable.
“My opinion about what happened is that, could it be that EFCC did not get the right kind of document to arrest those people? If they did, then the security agents that prevented them are wrong. Only the investigation would reveal this.
“This Senate is the highest lawmaking body in Nigeria. I would urge us to calm down especially the opposition, as it appears they are neither here nor there. Let there be an investigation before we apportion any blame.”
