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  • Akwa Ibom NUJ demands apology from govt, SSS

    The Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists yesterday demanded apologies from the Director of the State Security Service (SSS), T. Minti and the state government, following the assault on The Nation reporter, Kazeem Ibrahim.

    NUJ’s State Chair Joe Effiong decried the attack on journalists in the state.

    Three operatives of the SSS beat up The Nation reporter at the Government House in Uyo during Governor Godswill Akpabio’s 50th birthday ceremony on Sunday.

    Condemning the act, Effiong, who is the state correspondent of The Sun , said the union may be constrained to take action to protect the rights of its members.

    His words: “We demand unreserved apology from the state.

    “We also demand an apology from the Director of SSS in Akwa Ibom State and the media managers in the state.

    “Although, some of them (media managers) were also harassed at the event, we were responding to their own invitation.

    “If you come to my house and my security man harasses you, it is my own responsibility to make amends, even though I never asked the security man to do that.

    “So if we went to the Government House on invitation and we are harassed by the security, I think it is also the responsibility of government to apologise to us.

    “So we demand unreserved apology from the state government.

    “Government cannot run away from this. If government showed concern about the activities of security operatives in the past, I believe this assault, harassment, beating of reporters would have stopped.

    “So we say that enough is enough. We expect their apologies tomorrow or at our congress, but if they refuse whatever decision we take will be binding on all of us.

    “We are having state congress on Thursday. By Thursday, we expect the State Director of SSS and the Commissioner of Information to come to our congress and apologise and reassure us that this terror act will not repeat itself.”

    Effiong, however, appealed to members to remain calm and support the union in its bid to tackle the problem.

  • Terror: SSS probes Kogi Varsity over convict’s degree

    Terror: SSS probes Kogi Varsity over convict’s degree

    Barely two weeks after he was convicted of terrorism charges, a former Special Assistant to Kogi State Governor on Youth Empowerment, Ogwu Achemu, is under probe by the State Security Service (SSS), for allegedly intimidating Kogi State University management to award him a second class upper degree.

    He was jailed a fortnight ago for four years by Justice Donatus Okorowa of the Federal High Court, Abuja. With the judgment, Achemu became the first political office holder to be jailed for terrorism. He had served under ex-Governor Ibrahim Idris and was briefly retained by Governor Idris Wada before he was dropped.

    Although the convict has filed an application at the Court of Appeal against the judgment of the High Court, the SSS is investigating him on how he reportedly forced Kogi State University management to earn a second class upper degree.

    According to findings, Achemu, who had a terror base in Anyigba where the university is located, had secured admission into the university. He was said to seldom attend classes and threatened lecturers to pass him either during tests or examinations.

    Investigation confirmed that having held the university town hostage and with a retinue of armed thugs, it was difficult for the management to take disciplinary measure against him.

    It was learnt that the university had the choice to tolerate the convict or throw the campus into turmoil. After a four-year course, the university awarded him a second class (upper) degree under duress. As at press time, it was learnt that the SSS is investigating the alleged “award of degree under coercion to Achemu.”

    A reliable source said: “The investigation of how Achemu earned his degree had been on for months. In fact, some SSS officials visited the university and interacted with the Academic Unit.

    “What we did was to make the facts at our disposal available to the investigation team from the State Security Service (SSS). All I know is that since the arrest of Achemu in January 2011, the university and its host community have been enjoying peace.”

    Another source, who confided in our correspondent, said: “I think the SSS has gone far in screening Achemu’s stay in the university and academic records.

    “Once infractions have been established, he might face a separate trial on this issue. The university’s statute might be handy in prosecuting the suspect in this regard.

    “What the SSS under the leadership of the Director-General, Mr. Ita Ekpenyong, has done is to expose the extent to which terror suspects have permeated every segment of the society. It is to the credit of the DG to have secured conviction of a politically exposed person for terrorism.”

    Besides the academic challenge, the convict had also been implicated in the attack on the residence of Hajiya Aisha Audu, the wife of a former Governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu.

    Another source added: “We have two bases for terrorism in Kogi State: these are Anyigba and Okene. The SSS led by Ekpenyong has succeeded in smashing the group in Anyigba axis; it is collaborating with other security agencies and the military to deal with the Okene base.

    “In fact, before Anyigba was freed from terrorism, it got to a stage that the Achemu group allegedly abducted a former Caretaker Chairman of Dekina Local Government Area, Hussein Oji. To have peace, the terrorists were collecting N1million monthly ransom from the local government allocation till the tenure of the man ended.”

    As at press time, however, Achemu has appealed against the judgment of Justice Okorowa.

    He said he was innocent of all the allegations against him and urged the Court of Appeal to reverse the decision of the Federal High Court.

    A source at the Federal Ministry of Justice, said: “Well, we are ready for his appeal. We had a good prosecution team from the Federal Ministry of Justice, led by M.S. Hassan (Assistant Director) and supported by Ahmed I.O. The case officer, Mr. Alhassan Iliasu, from the SSS, also gave testimony in court on the allegations against Achemu.”

    The convict was arraigned for allegedly violating Section 15, sub-sections 1 and 3 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004.

    The Section reads: “A person who wilfully provides or collects by any means directly or indirectly any money by any other person with intent that the money shall be used for any act of terrorism commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life.

    “Any person, who commits or attempts to commit a terrorist Act or participates in or facilitates the commission of a terrorist Act, commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life.

    “Any person who makes funds, financial assets or economic resources or financial or other related services available for use of any other person to commit or attempt to commit, facilitate or participate in the commission of a terrorist act is liable on conviction to life imprisonment.”

  • SSS arrests suspected cross-boundary syndicates in Nasarawa

    Four suspected members of an arms syndicate, which allegedly operated in three states in the Middle Belt, have been arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) in Nasarawa State.

    Parading members of the syndicate yesterday at the state headquarters of the SSS in Lafia, the Director of the Command, Abubakar Bubuche said they operated in Nasarawa, Taraba and Benue states.

    He said the weapons recovered from them include AK 47 rifles, a sub-machine gun, 48 rounds of live ammunition and assorted charms.

    The SSS chief said two of the suspects were arrested last week in Assakio, a community in Lafia Local Government Area of the state.

    The community, Babuche said, was recently engulfed in ethnic skirmishes.

    He said investigation led to the arrest of the other three suspects in Abinse, Benue State.

    According to him, among the suspects was a witch doctor.

    It was learnt that the witch doctor allegedly supplied over N90,000 charms for the protection of the suspects against gunshots during the fight in the area.

    Bubuche said: “Why should we be spending money buying weapons to fight each other when we should channel such money into feeding and training our children?”

    The SSS chief assured that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

    He advised the pubIic to give useful information that could lead to the arrest of hoodlums.

    Babuche urged the people to live in peace with one another and shun violence.

     

     

  • Ministry, SSS partner on distribution of free textbooks

    In a bid to check diversion and fraud in the distribution chain by the Federal Government/Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the Federal Ministry of Education yesterday entered into a working partnership with the State Security Service (SSS) on the distribution of instructional materials to primary and secondary schools across the country.

    Under the partnership, the operatives of the SSS in the 36 state commands and Abuja will participate in the distribution of free textbooks meant for the 774 local governments.

    Speaking at the headquarters of the SSS in Abuja during a visit to the Director-General of the SSS, Mr. Ekpeyong Ita, the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, said the direct involvement of the security agency at the highest level became necessary because of the illegal actions of the officials of the State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB). They were found to have allegedly diverted the books meant for the less privileged children.

    He hailed the SSS for its success in Niger State where three SUBEB officials are being prosecuted for diverting books meant for the state.

    Wike said the partnership was aimed at ensuring that those involved in trying to sabotage the process were fished out and prosecuted to act as a deterrent to other potential criminals in the textbook distribution chain.

    He said: “We seek your partnership to help the Federal Government actualise the goal for basic education and the distribution of books. We urge you to help us check the leakages and sabotage in the distribution chain. We have come here to give the list of the distribution of textbooks and library resource materials to the states for the next phase to begin in November to ensure that the books get to the end users.”

    The Director-General of the SSS, Ekpeyong Ita, assured the minister that the security agency will work towards ensuring that the books distributed by the Federal Government get to the end users.

    He said the SSS would work with the Federal Ministry of Education to monitor the distribution of the textbooks and library resource materials to the local governments through the state governments.

    Ita noted that there is a reason to sanitise the distribution channel to avoid a situation where saboteurs deny Nigerian children access to the textbooks.

    Highlight of the meeting was the handing over of the list containing the distribution chain for the next phase of the distribution of books to the Director-General of the SSS by the Minister of State for Education.

  • Court orders SSS, police to probe monarch’s kidnap

    The Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday ordered the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr Ita Ekpenyong, and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate last year’s abduction of a monarch in Anambra State, Chief Lawrence Oragwu.

    Justice Mohammed Idris ordered the IGP to mandate a special unit of the police to begin or take over and conclude the investigation.

    He ordered the respondents to transmit to the court’s Registry a type-written report of their investigations “within three months”.

    Oragwu, a retired Deputy Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), was abducted with his driver by unknown gunmen on June 2, last year, in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, on his way from a church.

    He was the acting Igwe of Adazi-Nnukwu in Anaocha Local Government Area.

    The judge noted that the respondents did not defend the action and, therefore, entered judgment in favour of the plaintiff, Mr Nnamdi Oragwu, a lawyer and the monarch’s son.

    Oragwu had told the court that a Toyota Hilux truck drove in front of his father’s car and blocked him and his driver. About four heavily armed men alighted, dragged the driver out, pushed the monarch into the truck and drove off.

    The abductors, he added, took away the monarch’s car.

    The monarch’s son said another person from a neighbouring village, who was also abducted by the same gang, escaped after disarming one of his abductors of an AK47 rifle, which had an inscription suspected to be from the military.

    The lawyer petitioned the SSS as well as the Chief of Army Staff on June 16 and June 21, last year. But they allegedly did not respond until a newspaper contacted the army.

    The family reportedly received an anonymous letter from someone claiming to be an army officer, who narrated how the kidnap plot was hatched and perpetrated, naming some participants.

    The letter, which was undated and unsigned, reads: “This is to inform the public and people of Adazi Nnukwu that the man they are looking for is dead. I am a soldier at Onitsha Barracks’ 302 Artillery Regiment. I participated in the assassination operation that was disguised as a kidnap.”

     

  • SSS grills Senator over Boko Haram suspect

    SSS grills Senator over Boko Haram suspect

    •Sect commander: we worked for politicians in 2011

     

    For about five hours, the State Security Service(SSS) yesterday grilled a senator on his relationship with a suspected Boko Haram Commander, Shuaib Mohammed Bama, who was allegedly arrested last Thursday at his home in Maiduguri by the Joint Task Force(JTF).

    Senator Ahmed Khalifa Zanna, who was released last night, is expected to report to the SSS headquarters by 11am today.

    It was also learnt that the suspected Boko Haram Commander has confessed that he was recruited alongside others by politicians, including the Senator, for the 2011 polls.

    According to sources, the Senator arrived at the SSS headquarters at about 2.05pm for interaction with the Director-General, Mr. Ekpenyong Ita.

    The interrogation took about five hours.

    A source spoke on what transpired at the session: “He insisted that the Boko Haram Commander is the son of his sister. But he restated that he does not know whether the suspect is a Boko Haram member or not.

    “He admitted that as his nephew, the Boko Haram Commander has been coming to his house, but at a point he was uncomfortable with his behaviour; he banned him from visiting his family.

    “The Senator was also asked questions on what Bama had been doing in his house during the on and off shuttles to the place. He said he had refused to tolerate him in his house.

    “At a point during the grilling, the team asked the Senator if he has had any link with Boko Haram.

    The source quoted the Senator as saying: “My only encounter with Boko Haram is about preparation for this forthcoming Sallah. I gave one of my aides N1.5m to buy rams. I was not around in Maiduguri but some gunmen went to my aide to demand for the money.

    “The man said I only gave them N1m and that he had exhausted the money buying rams. They took my aide to his house, ransacked the place and took N250,000, being cash left with him.

    “As they were going, the gunmen, suspected to be members of Boko Haram, left a message that I must give them N10m or else they will kill me. That is the only link I have with Boko Haram, I have no relationship with any of their members.”

    The SSS interrogators reportedly asked the Senator “why he did not tell the press this dimension on Sunday and at the National Assembly on Monday.

    “The investigators also asked if he had reported the death threats from Boko Haram to security agencies. He said ‘no’ because he was not in Maiduguri when it happened.”

    On the house where Bama was arrested, the source added: “The Senator said it does not belong to him. He said the suspect was not picked up at his residence.

    “But we will get a comprehensive brief from the JTF. And that is why the Senator will appear before the SSS by 11am on Tuesday for another round of questioning. There are some gaps in his statement.

    “So far, we have asked him to go home. We have no reason to detain the Senator because we invited him.”

    It was, however, a different story yesterday when Bama told the SSS that he and others were recruited during the 2011 general election, by some politicians, including the Senator.

    The source said of Bama: “He told us that he and others worked for politicians of a particular party, including the Senator, during the 2011 poll. That was one of his confessional statements.

    “The Boko Haram Commander is still undergoing interrogation. He will also tell the SSS where he was arrested.”

    Following fears of reprisals from the Joint Task Force(JTF) in Maiduguri, the Senator had earlier said he might evacuate his family from his residence.

    He added: “I am in the process of evacuating my family from my residence in Maiduguri because with what JTF has done, anything can happen to them. I will do that soon.

    “My only offence is that I said the JTF should withdraw if they are not going to operate according to the rules of engagement.

    “They are not there to kill people; they are to counter the insurgency of Boko Haram.

    Zanna said he decided to speak out because of the impression already created that he is a Boko Haram member.

    He added: “Of course, I have to talk because I have to redeem my image and I have to redeem the image of the Senate.

    “I have bad blood with the man I defeated; he wants me to be hanged.”

     

  • ACN youths call for police, SSS bosses’ removal

    A week to the October 20 Governorship election in Ondo State, the Forum of Youths Leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria has called for the removal of the state Police Commissioner and the Director of State Security Service.

    Rising from a two -day meeting of the forum during the weekend in Osogbo, its National Co-coordinator, Mr. Okonkwo Oliver, who read the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting at the state secretariat of the party in Osogbo, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could not conduct or hold a free and fair poll in the state with the two officers around.

    He, therefore, called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to transfer the Police and the SSS bosses out of the state and should not be allowed to supervise the forthcoming election.

     

     

     

  • SSS arrests Niger group’s leader

    The State Security Service (SSS) at the weekend in Minna, arrested the Vice-Chairman of the Concerned Citizens of Niger State (a pressure Group), Alhaji Awaisu Wana, for calling for the impeachment of Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu over alleged financial recklessness and non- compliance with the appropriation act.

    Wana was arrested by the SSS about 4pm on Saturday in his Maitunmbi home for

    allegedly being in possession of video compact discs (VCDs) and documents capable of causing disaffection between the people and the government, thereby heating up the polity and destabilising

    the state.

    Findings showed that Wana was accused of translating the petition his group sent to the House of Assembly, calling for the impeachment of the governor, into Hausa and Gwari languages and dubbing the VCDs with the intent to distribute them in the 25 local governments.

    Confirming the arrest of his deputy, the Chairman of the group, Alhaji Mohammed Moude, said Wana was arrested by the SSS for possessing the VCDs containing the allegations of his group in local languages. He said the move was to keep the people of the state, especially the rural dwellers, abreast of the mismanagement of the state resources.

    According to Maude, a senior special assistant to the governor took the VCDs to the government and SSS.

    It was learnt that when government presented the VCDs and documents to the SSS, it alleged that Wana’s intention was aimed at discrediting the Governor Aliyu administration.

    The State Director of the SSS, Dr. Larry Obiagwu, confirmed on the phone, the arrest of Wana. He said he was invited over the documents and VCDs considered inimical to security.

    According to him, “we are trying to sieve the information and statement made by him to know which are meant to subvert the government. The documents and VCDs are capable of having effects on the people’s attitude against the government.”

    Admitting that people have legitimate windows to ventilate their

    grievances until 2015, the security boss warned that people should not subvert the government of the day to the detriment of peace, adding that by 2015 people would have the choice to elect new leaders.

    A source in the SSS said Wana may be taken to court today.