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Tag: Maryln Ogar

  • DSS retires Marilyn Ogar, 14 others

    DSS retires Marilyn Ogar, 14 others

    The Department of State Services (DSS) has sent  its former spokesperson, Ms. Marilyn Ogar and 14 other senior officials, including two directors on compulsory retirement.

    A signal from the leadership of the DSS, issued Wednesday night, confirmed the development, but did not reveal the identities of other officers affected by the exercise.

    Ogar was promoted Deputy Director alongside 44 others in promotions that were done in the twilight of the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    But the new administration had reversed the promotions, citing irregularities and breach of extant rules guiding such actions.

    Ogar reportedly earned her promotion following commendation she received from former President Jonathan for doing “a fantastic job” as spokesperson of the DSS.

    The erstwhile spokesperson was said to have been transferred outside the Abuja headquarters of the Service shortly after the change in government at the centre.

    The DSS does not appear to have a substantive spokesperson at present.

    Mr. Tony Opuiyo, who signs press statements on behalf of the Service, is not designated as spokesperson.

     

  • 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.”

  • DSS warns politicians over ‘inciting statements’

    The Department of State Security (DSS) has issued what it described as a “last warning” to politicians “seeking to truncate” the nation’s democracy by their “careless and obviously mischievous utterances and actions.”

    In a statement issued on Monday by the spokesperson of the DSS, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, the Service warned of dire consequences for the said politicians if they fail to retrace their steps immediately.

    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 election.

    “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.

    “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 election in Nigeria.”

     

  • No planned attack on Madalla – DSS

    The Department of State Security has described as rumour the information spreading around about an impending insurgent attack on Madalla, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory.

    The DSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, who spoke at the regular security briefing in Abuja, Thursday, said Madalla residents should ignore the rumour as there was no iota of truth in it.

    Madalla came under massive attack on a Christmas Day some years back.

    Ogar said security efforts are being intensified to ensure that Christians all over the country enjoy a peaceful celebration as the yuletide season draws near.

    She said the seven suspects who have been parading themselves as Boko Haram negotiators and was paraded by the DSS within the week will be charged to court soon.
    He said none of the suspects was tortured to extract information from them, adding that all that obtained from the suspects were given willingly.

    Mike Omeri, the Coordinator of the National Information Centre who also spoke on efforts to secure the lives of Nigerians during the Christmas and New Year celebrations said, “As year 2014 gradually comes to an end, Nigerians have been warned to be very security conscious especially during the end of the year festivities.

    “Already, security agencies have been intimated of plans by insurgents to carry out major attacks against soft targets.

    “These targets include motor parks, churches, schools, mosques, recreational centres such as amusement parks and viewing centres among others. The aim is to exploit the festive period with the attendant mass gatherings for religious programmes, school end of year parties and family picnics to cause large scale destruction of lives and properties”

    “Consequently, security agencies have been directed to beef up survelliance in such locations around the country, citizens will have also noticed the increased presence of policemen deployed at various locations for their safety. They are therefore also advised to exercise a high level of vigilance and cooperate with security agencies in a bid to ensure a hitch free yuletide,” Omeri said.

     

  • Ezekwesili was checked like other Nigerians – SSS

    Ezekwesili was checked like other Nigerians – SSS

    The spokesperson of the State Security Service, Ms Maryln Ogar, has denied reports that former Education Minister and the Coordinator of the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign, Oby Ezekwesili, was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday morning.

    Ogar said Ezekwesili went through the normal screening at the airport like other Nigerians.

    Speaking at the daily briefing at the National Information Centre, Ogar urged people to desist from trivializing security issue.

    She said the former minister who was on her way to London, at the time of the briefing, had to be subjected to security check like any other person boarding the plane.

    “I wonder where Oby Ezekwesili is right now, because we don’t have such person in any of our detention facilities.

    “Somebody has put same question during the Channel rise daily this morning (Monday) and they were clearly told that she is already on her way to the United Kingdom.

    “I wouldn’t know how people are advocating for her, you know that statutorily the SSS clears all passengers that travel outside this country or coming in to this country.

    “Let people stop to aggregate themselves unnecessary importance, when we have serious security challenges in our hands, security issues must not be shortchanged for any reason,” Ogar insisted.

     

  • Nyanya blast death toll hits 19

    … 60 wounded, three IEDs recovered

    The police on Friday confirmed that 19 people died and 60 others injured in Thursday’s bomb blast at Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory.
    The police spokesman, CSP Frank Mba, confirmed the figure at a news conference at Nyanya, the scene of the incident.
    The spokesperson of the Department of State Services (DSS), Marilyn Ogar, and an official of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), attended the briefing.
    Mba said that six others apart from the 60 injured had been treated and discharged.
    He also said three unexploded Improvise Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered from the scene, adding that they had been rendered safe.
    “Investigations are ongoing and we appeal to the citizens to rally round the security forces at this critical point in our history.
    “It will take the unity of all of us to defeat terror,’’ Mba said, and declined comment on whether any arrest had been made.
    “I will not speak at this stage on ongoing investigations but investigations are ongoing and we will give facts when it is right to do so.’’
    Also, Ogar, DSS spokesperson, said the cooperation of all Nigerians was required to win the war against terrorism.
    “We must take our security into our hands because the security agencies cannot do it all alone, it must be collective.
    “The call here is for all Nigerians to rally round security agencies, it is not a time to say they are not doing what they are supposed to do.
    “The number of security personnel in the country is very small compared to the population, rally round us through information, no information is useless,’’ Ogar appealed.
    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Mba had given a casualty figure of 12 dead and 19 wounded on Thursday, shortly after the explosion.
    He, however, described those figures as “provisional.”