TheNewsGuru

Tag: dss

  • Court Oorders DSS to produce Sambo Dasuki

    Court Oorders DSS to produce Sambo Dasuki

    Federal High Court in Abuja Wednesday issued a warrant against the Department of State Services (DSS) to produce former National Security Adviser retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki.

    The Nigerian government is prosecuting Dasuki for alleged criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and dishonest release of funds to the tune of N33.3 billion.

    At the resumed trial, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf ordered the security outfit to produce Dasuki on the back of a request by the prosecutor, Oluwaleke Atolagbe.

    Atolagbe had asked that the court grants an order to enable Dasuki to appear in court to answer to charges against him by the federal government.

    The prosecutor told the court on Wednesday that he was ready to proceed with the trial as he has a witness who came From Port Harcourt, but the absence of the 1st defendant in court remains a challenge.

    Counsel to Colonel Dasuki, Victor Okwudili, however, expressed surprise that the prosecution is asking about whereabouts of his client when he knows where he is.

    He maintained that the 1st defendant is in the custody of the prosecution and it behoves on the prosecution to produce him.

  • Court issues production warrant to DSS to produce Dasuki for trial

    Court issues production warrant to DSS to produce Dasuki for trial

    Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of an FCT High Court Maitama on Tuesday, issued a production warrant to the Director General, Department of State Service (DSS) to produce Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) in court to face his trial on May 24.

    Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser to ex -president , Dr Goodluck Jonathan was arraigned by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ) since 2015.

    On trial with him are Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former NNPC Executive Director, and two firms- Acacia Holdings and Reliance Referral Hospital.

    They are arraigned on 32 counts of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and dishonest release and receiving of various sums of money to the tune of N33.3 billion.

    The judge, Baba-Yusuf ordered for a production warrant to be issued on the Director General of DSS to produce Dasuki in court for his trial at the next adjourned date.

    Production warrant is issued when a defendant is in the custody of the state as is in Dasuki ‘s case.

    The judge also ordered the prosecution to liaise with the DSS to produce the defendant whenever his matter comes up.

    ‘Hence I will issue a production warrant to the DG, DSS to produce the defendant for his trial on the next adjourned date.

    He then adjourned until May 24 for trial.

    Earlier, the prosecuting counsel Mr Oluwaleke Atolegbe had expressed surprises when he found out that Dasuki was not in court.

    Atolegbe told the court that it was the duty of the DSS to produce the dependant who was in their custody.
    Dasuki ‘s counsel, Mr Victor Okwudiri told the court that it was the duty of the prosecution to produce the defendant in court and it is their duty also to explain why his absence.

    Counsel for the 2nd defendant , Mr Solomon Umoh, SAN told the court that it was now a common knowledge that the defendant was in the custody of the state.

    He said much as the ACJA allows for trial on absentia, this is an occasion where the law did not contemplate, ‘ My Lord can use his inherent power in two ways’

    ‘One issuance of production warrant and secondly, issuance of bench warrant ‘ the prosecution should find a way of producing the defendant in court’
    he said .

    Counsel for the third and fourth, Mr A Rilman and A. Ayodele aligned with the learned silk.

  • Ex-Boko Haram spokesman sues DSS, AGF; demands N500,000 damages

    The FCT High Court in Maitama on Thursday fixed May 23 for hearing a N500,000 aggravated damages suit filed by Ali Konduga, a former spokesman of the insurgent group, Boko Haram.

    Konduga dragged the Director-General of the Department of State Security Services (DSS) and the Attorney-General of the Federation to court for alleged breach of his fundamental rights.

    Through his counsel, Mohammed Tola, he filed a suit before Justice Samira Bature alleging that he was kept in detention for an extra three years after serving his three-year jail term before he was released in 2016.

    Konduga was convicted by a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Abuja and sentenced to three years imprisonment for criminal intimidation in 2011.

    In the suit, Konduga claimed that he was kept in the custody of the DSS instead of the conventional prison to serve his term because the government wanted him to serve as a key witness to prove a terrorism charge against Ali Ndume, a senator, in a Federal High Court in Abuja.

    He further stated that as of the time of his release, he was never called to testify in the matter or any other matter.

    Konduga said that he was taken to the DSS office in Maiduguri on September 8, 2016, and was released on September 9, 2016, to his parents.

    He claimed that the DSS offered his family the sum of N700,000 when he was released, and informed his family that the money was meant for his medical treatment.

    The gesture, Konduga said, showed that the DSS knew he was entitled to compensation for his illegal and unlawful detention, adding that the Service refused to pay him any other compensation except the N700,000.

    He further stated that some individuals attacked him after he was released in 2016 and he sustained a head injury from the attack.

    He added that as a result of the injury he sustained, the police from GRA Police Station, Maiduguri, Borno, took him into protective custody and later referred him to the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Maiduguri.

    He, therefore, demanded for an unreserved public apology in three national newspapers.

    Konduga also prayed for an order of the court, directing the respondents to jointly and severally pay him N500,000 as aggravated damages and compensation for the ‘illegal’ detention.

     

  • Journalist Abiri regains freedom from DSS custody

    Journalist Abiri regains freedom from DSS custody

    A Nigerian journalist, Jones Abiri, who was arrested on Saturday by armed men suspected to be operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) has been released.

    The Bayelsa-based magazine publisher was released on Monday afternoon from the secret police’s detention facility in Abuja, his lawyer said.

    “He has just been released around 2:00 p.m.,” lawyer Samuel Ogala said, adding that terms of the release would be disclosed later.

    The men who arrested Abiri came in a Toyota Hilux truck. He was arrested in Yenagoa, the capital of his home Bayelsa State where he publishes his Weekly Source magazine.

    The DSS initially denied knowledge of the arrest, but those who were with him insisted the agency was responsible.

    No official statement had been issued to clarify the arrest, which comes months after the journalist was released from a prolonged detention.

    Abiri was initially arrested in 2016 on allegations of blackmailing expatriation oil workers in the Niger-Delta. He denied the allegations, but was kept in custody until August 2018 when he was freed on a court order.

    He sued the agency and received damages for N10 million in the case, which has neither been appealed nor executed.

  • Again, DSS arrest Journalist Abiri in Bayelsa

    Again, DSS arrest Journalist Abiri in Bayelsa

    Four armed men suspected to be operatives of Directorate of Security Services (DSS) on Saturday whisked away a journalist, Jones Abiri, to an disclosed location.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abiri, the publisher of Weekly Source Newspaper, who was incaserated for two years on charges of terrorism in the past, was whisked away at about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

    According to eyewitnesses, Abiri was in company of some colleagues at his office at Azikoro junction of Yenagoa when the armed men arrived at the scene in a white Hilux Van and black Prado Jeep and forcibly dragged and pushed their victim into one of the vehicles and drove off.

    Austin Bodo, a journalist who witnessed the incident, said “we were sitting outside his office when a black Prado jeep and white Hilux drove into the premises in commando style.

    “As they packed, two men carrying the type of guns used by DSS operatives, jumped out of one of the cars and said Abiri was under arrest and immediately started dragging him and forced him into one of the cars and drove off.”

    Another witness, Mr. Bankole Abdulazeez, said “we were discussing national issues when the cars drove in.

    “Two armed men came out of the cars and without identifying themselves, they said you are under arrest and started dragging him.

    “They threatened to shoot anybody that tries to stop them.

    “I heard him shouting ‘what have I done again? what have I done again?’ Before they finally dragged him into one of the cars and drove off,” he said.

    When contacted, a DSS Official, who preferred anonymity, said: “I only heard of it from a journalist friend; I don’t think it is our men from here.”

  • Presidential poll: APC Presidential campaign petitions IGP, DSS over PDP’s ‘illegal access’ to INEC server

    Presidential poll: APC Presidential campaign petitions IGP, DSS over PDP’s ‘illegal access’ to INEC server

    The presidential campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has written the Inspector General of Police and Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged access to the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by leaders of the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The presidential campaign team which managed the activities of President Muhammadu Buhari before and during the elections is demanding that the aforementioned security agencies investigate, arrest and prosecute (if found guilty) the leaders of the opposition.

    The petition written, signed and released on Monday by the spokesperson of the APC presidential campaign, Festus Keyemo (SAN) might bot be unconnected to the rejection of the Presidential election results by the candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar and his subsequent decision to challenge the results at a competent court of law.

    Recall that INEC declared President Buhari winner of the February 23 presidential elections having scored a total of 15, 191, 847 to defeat his closest rival Atiku Abubakar of the PDP who pulled 11, 262, 978 votes.

    However, the PDP and its candidates rejected the results saying the pool of evidences at their disposal including official figures on INEC’s computer server showed Buhari lost the presidential elections with over 1.6 millions votes.

    Hence the APC campaign’s decision to petition police and DSS on how the PDP leaders were able to access data on INEC’s data.

    Read full petition below:

    APC CAMPAIGN PETITIONS IGP, DSS, WANTS PDP HIERARCHY INVESTIGATED OVER ILLEGAL ACCESS TO INEC’S SERVER

    Monday, March 25, 2019
    1. The Inspector-General of Police,
    Police Force Headquarters,
    Louis Edet House,
    Abuja.
    2. The Director-General,
    Department of State Services,
    Aso Drive,
    Abuja.
    Dear sirs,

    PETITION TO INVITE, INTERROGATE AND INVESTIGATE THE PDP LEADERSHIP OVER ITS ADMITTANCE OF ILLEGAL ACCESS TO INEC’S SERVER
    BACKGROUND
    1. It would be recalled that an Electoral (Amendment) Bill containing the provision for electronic transmission of results to INEC’s central computer system (otherwise called “server”) was sent to President Muhammadu Buhari by the National Assembly for assent late in the year 2018.
    2. Despite the shortness of time before the Presidential/National Assembly Elections, and the lack of time to first simulate the process to ensure its effectiveness in a country like ours with problems of effective networks in many rural areas and constant failure of technological devices, together with its violation of the time frame of such laws as provided for in regional and continental Protocols in terms of the length of time required for the passage of such laws before any major election, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party was hell-bent that the President should sign the Bill into law. That was the first indication that the main opposition was up to something sinister regarding the electronic transmission of the results.
    3. Upon the last-minute postponement of the February 16, 2019 Presidential/National Assembly Elections, the nation was shocked to see already prepared presidential elections results floating around in the cyber space just less than 24 hours after the postponed election was originally billed to hold! The fake results had details of the scores of the candidates of the major parties. Of course, the fake results gave victory to the candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, even when elections did not hold.
    4. The only conclusion one can draw from the above is that the PDP had prepared those results which were to be smuggled into the INEC Server. However, the sudden postponement of the election scuttled that evil plan, but it was too late to restrain the release of the fake results.
    RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
    5. The proper elections were held on February 23, 2019 and President Muhammadu Buhari declared the winner. Despite the approval of the elections as credible by nearly all local and international observers (except some few known PDP acolytes masquerading as local observers), the PDP cried foul and made a shocking claim: it claimed that from purported results it obtained from INEC’s server, it has so-called proof that its candidate won the election by about 1.6million votes!
    6. Shockingly and coincidentally, this margin was about the same margin by which it also purportedly “won” by the fake results released just hours after the postponement of the February 16, 2019 Presidential/National Assembly Elections.
    7. As if this expensive joke was not enough, the PDP and its Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have gone ahead to file an Election Petition against the clear victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and have repeated the same outlandish claim of having access to INEC’s server which shows that they have some purported results at their disposal giving “victory” to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
    8. Sirs, we wish you to note that INEC’s server is the back end of electronic records of INEC. This is not INEC’s website but its server! Although, the purported results have been conclusively shown by public engagements to be false and even ridiculous, especially as the total number of accredited voters is exactly equivalent to the purported votes of the APC and PDP candidates, this criminal claim of the PDP has revealed a few things:
    (a) It is now clear that some criminally-minded PDP operatives have access to the INEC server to be able to smuggle in fake results into that server.
    (b) The only means by which they could have access to the INEC server is by the criminal hacking of the server or through the criminal conspiracy of some INEC officials.

    PRAYERS
    The APC Presidential Campaign Council hereby prays that the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services use your good offices to investigate the hacking of and/or illegal tampering with the INEC server by the PDP. The leadership of the PDP must be invited, interrogated and investigated and those identified as perpetrators must be arrested and prosecuted.
    Opposition is healthy in a democracy but it is not a license for criminality and illegality. A country governed by laws cannot be blackmailed or cowed into indolence by the perceived underdog status of the opposition so as to condone such a blatant criminal claim by the PDP of having illegal access to INEC’s server.

    We trust you will act with alacrity.

    Thank you.
    FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, FCIArb (UK)
    Director, Strategic Communications,
    APC Presidential Campaign Council,
    (Official Spokesperson).

     

  • ‘Former DG Daura no longer in control of DSS’

    ‘Former DG Daura no longer in control of DSS’

    The speculation making the round that its former Director General Department of State Services, Lawal Musa Daura still controlled affairs at the Agency, long after his removal from Office last year has been debunked by the Agency.

    This was contained in ‎a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Spokesperson of the Agency, Peter Afunanya.

    It warned that “any person or group that further engages him ‎or his representatives or associates do so at their own peril.”

    The Statement reads, “the attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to insinuations and wide speculation that its former Director General, Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura mni, still controls affairs at the Agency, long after his removal from Office‎.

    “While the Service debunks this false belief, it warns that any person or group that further engages him or his representatives/associates does so at their own peril.

    “The Service will not tolerate acts of impersonation designed to undermine it and will decisively deal with a person(s), no matter how highly placed, that may engage in such behaviour.

    “The public should, therefore, note this and avoid circumstances under which unsuspecting persons may be deceived.

    “On the other hand, the DSS continues to recommit itself to the core values of professionalism, selflessness, vigilance and the rule of law that it has always been identified with.”

  • DSS arrests former PDP chairman

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State on Monday said operatives of Directorate of State Services (DSS) have arrested the party’s former chairman, Alhaji Yaro Makama.

    The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Abraham Catoh, confirmed the arrest in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

    The arrest of the former chairman is coming about 72 hours after the Spokesperson of the party’s state campaign council, Ben Bako was arrested over alleged inciting and hate speech during a campaign rally.

    Catoh alleged that Makama was invited to the State Police Command, from where he was whisked away to an unknown destination by the DSS operatives.

    The party”s spokesman said there were no details as to why he was arrested, but added that, Makama was invited by the security agents for questioning about two weeks ago but was released.

    He said there was no information yet about Makama’s whereabouts, adding “they have taken him away a couple of hours ago to an undisclosed location.”

    The PDP had on Sunday in Kaduna, alleged at a news conference that 150 of its top members were pencilled for arrest by the ruling APC in the state, a claim dismissed by the APC.

    Samuel Aruwan, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai, had denied the PDP allegation, saying the security agents did not need the State Government to teach them their statutory responsibility.

  • DSS planning to arrest me – CUPP spokesman

    The first national spokesperson, Coalition of United Political Parties, Imo Ugochinyere, on Thursday raised the alarm over an alleged plan by men of the Department of State Services to arrest him.

    Ugochinyere raised the alarm at a press conference in Abuja.

    He said the plan was to arrest him and keep him away until after elections.

    He said his problem was because he was in possession of copies of asset declaration forms of some top government officials, including that of the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu.

    He said he had earlier been approached on the need for him to reduce his opposition to the government.

    Ugochinyere said, “It is important that the world take note of this. Just about two hours ago, I was informed the DSS had perfected arrangements to arrest me any moment from now.

    “It is important that I tell the world the reason behind this move. I have been approached by people in government to reduce the level of my opposition to government , but I cannot betray the trust of the people.

    “The problem is that they are aware that the opposition parties are in possession of asset declaration forms of key members of the administration, especially that of the Minister of State, Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu.

    “What they want to do is to stop me from releasing those documents.”

    Ugochinyere claimed that a review of the forms showed that the affected ministers did not make full disclosure in their assets.

    He claimed that the government did not want such documents published because that was the same reason cited to suspend the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

  • Police move Melaye from DSS facility to SARS office

    Police move Melaye from DSS facility to SARS office

    The police have moved senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, to the federal special anti-robbery squad office in Guzape district, Abuja.

    The police transferred the senator from their hospital to a Department of State Services health facility on Friday for treatment after he complained that he was not getting better.

    But the police hospital had certified him fit for trial.

    An associate of the embattled senator on Saturday confirmed the development. “They moved him to SARS office in Guzape. The police moved him without any word. We don’t know what they want to do now,” he said.

    He said the next action of the police was unknown.

    Recall that last week, the senator surrendered to the police following an eight-day siege laid to his Abuja residence.

    The police accused Melaye of culpable homicide and alleged that his supporters shot one Danjuma Saliu, a police officer, in Kogi state on July 19.

    Police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said they had a warrant to keep Melaye for 14 days.

    “The police investigation team obtained a 14-day remand warrant from the Federal Capital Territory high court on January 9, 2019, to keep Senator Dino Melaye in police custody for investigation into the case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against him till January 23, 2019,” Moshood said.