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Tag: dss

  • VIDEOS: Female Lawmaker led others to DSS Siege into NASS Chamber

    VIDEOS: Female Lawmaker led others to DSS Siege into NASS Chamber

    Female legislator who had challenged operatives of Department of State Security Service (DSS) to shoot, suppoted by other lawmakers succeeded breaking the siege into National Assembly (NASS).

    In videos obtained by TheNewsGuru, the agitated lawmakers led by Boma Goodhead, a PDP House of Representatives member from Rivers State and some senators and other members of the House of Representatives forced their way into the premises of the National Assembly despite the DSS siege.

    While the DSS men blocking the entrance, the female lawmaker reportedly forced her way in and was followed by Reps Agbedi Frederick from Bayelsa State and Joseph Akinlaja from Ondo State among others.

    Videos:

  • BREAKING: Drama as DSS takes over N/Assembly [Video]

    BREAKING: Drama as DSS takes over N/Assembly [Video]

    Men of the State Security Service (DSS) have taken over the National Assembly and prevented lawmakers, journalists and staff from entrance.

    The DSS men who appeared battle ready took strategic positions at all the gates leading to the National Assembly premises.

    DSS take over NASS

    A post shared by Lufemi Ajasa (@lufemi_ajasa) on

    DSS invade NASS

    A post shared by Lufemi Ajasa (@lufemi_ajasa) on

    Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, one of the lawmakers who was prevented from accessing the National Assembly lamented to journalists.

    He said:”We’re legislators and we’re supposed to have access to our offices.

    “The DSS came and blocked the whole entrance to the National Assembly and said it is orders from the above. We’re here waiting to know who gave such orders.‎”

    Meanwhile, Senator Ben Murray Bruce has accused Senator Godswill Akpabio and other senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the DSS siege of the National Assembly.

    Sen Bruce said they would make sure that countries like the US, Canada, The United Kingdom, among others revoke the visas of senator Akpabio and his cohorts as well as their wives and children.

    He said they would resist any attempt by the APC senators to effect any leadership change in the Senate.

    ‎”It has come to our attention that we’re being invaded by state security. Our colleagues can’t go to work after we adjourned for summer holiday. We’ve been informed that the APC senator are trying to effect a leadership change.

    “This is anti democracy. We’re going to ask western democracy. We’ll ask the western countries to revoke the visas of Sen Akpabio. We’ll ask them to revoke the class of their wives. Let nobody test me or this institution.

    “We’ll submit the names of DSS officials and that of Akpabio to the western embassies. I hope this anti democracy forces love Nigeria, so they won’t travel out of the country for a very long time.

    “Akpabio will have to sell his aircraft and thereafter I’ll have to buy him a donkey so that he can use it.”

  • 2019: PDP writes INEC, DSS, Police over expulsion of Kashamu, others

    The National Headquarters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has formally written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Police Command in Ogun State, notifying each of them of the expulsion of Senator Buruji Kashamu and three others from the party.

    Recall that Senator Kashamu representing Ogun East Senatorial district at the Senate, factional Chairman of PDP in Ogun State, Engr. Bayo Dayo, and two others were expelled from the party weeks ago by the PDP National leadership for alleged anti-party activities but Kashamu and Dayo rejected the expulsion, dismissing it last Thursday as a ruse and illegality that shall not stand.

    The Senator and Dayo Bayo insisted that they remained full – ledge member of PDP, saying a subsisting court order protects their membership.

    However, in a letter by the PDP National Legal Adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem, dated August 1 and addressed separately to the trio of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, the State Director of DSS and the Commissioner of Police in the state, the party said the expelled persons have ceased to be members of PDP.

    In the said letter, the party recalled that the National Executive Committee (NEC) at its 80th meeting held on July 23, expelled the quartet of Kashamu, the factional state chairman and secretary, Bayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo, respectively and Segun Seriki, for “various infractions and violations of express provisions of the constitution of the party 2017 (as amended).”

    “Grateful, we write to bring to your notice and information that on July 23, 2018, the 80th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) expelled Senator Buruji Kashamu, Mr. Semiu Sodipo, Engr. Bayo Dayo and Segun Seriki, from the party for various infractions and violations of express provisions of the Constitution of the party 2017 (as amended).

    “Accordingly, they have ceased to be members of our party forthwith and lost all rights and or privileges, to act or represent the party in any capacity whatsoever. The extract of the 80th meeting of the NEC is attached for your perusal,” the letter reads.

  • BREAKING: NFF crisis: DSS evicts Chris Giwa from office

    BREAKING: NFF crisis: DSS evicts Chris Giwa from office

    Chris Giwa has been ejected from the secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) by operatives from the Department of State (DSS).

    Giwa had taken over the NFF secretariat on July 2 following a court order.

    However, DSS operatives, who carried out the ejection exercise on Monday, ejected Mr Giwa and the staff who occupied the NFF secretariat premises immediately.

    The DSS operatives said they are working on instructions from above.

    FIFA, football governing body, had threatened to ban Nigeria if the situation was not resolved and Amaju Pinnick not reinstated as NFF president.

  • Compulsory Retirement: Court fixes date to decide fate of ex-DSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar

    Compulsory Retirement: Court fixes date to decide fate of ex-DSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar

    The National Industrial Court, Abuja, on Monday fixed October 15 to deliver judgment in a suit filed by a former spokesperson of the Department of State Services (DSS), Marilyn Ogar, challenging her compulsory retirement.

    The judge, Olufunke Anuwe, fixed the date after listening to counsels adopt their submissions.

    Joined in the suit are the Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF) and the Director-General of the DSS.

    Adeola Adedipe, Ms Ogar’s counsel, prayed the court to among other things, declare that her retirement was illegal and nullify her demotion from deputy director to assistant director.

    Counsel to the AGF, Uche Anidobi, on her part, asked the court to discountenance the prayers of the claimant and dismiss the suit for lack of merit.

    In his submission, Jamilu Hamisu, counsel to the DSS, prayed the court to strike out the matter for being “unmeritorious”.

    Ogar was retired alongside 14 other officers in 2015, seven years before she was due for retirement.

    The DSS at present has no identifiable spokesperson.

    Five other officers are also challenging their alleged compulsory retirement before the same judge.

  • Abaribe narrates ordeal in DSS detention, vows to continue speaking truth to power

    Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, on Wednesday narrated on the floor of the Senate how he was arrested and detained for days by officials of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The embattled senator explained that he will continue to speak truth to power despite his arrest.

    Recall that the senator was arrested on June 22 by DSS operatives for his alleged links with the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    Abaribe, who was one of the sureties for the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was later released after days with the operatives.

    Coming under order 43 of the Senate rule, the senator gave his account of the incident to his colleagues.

    “I have been inundated by Nigerians and my colleagues who were worried about the reports regarding my arrest by men of the DSS. So today Mr President, I crave your indulgence and those of my colleagues to state that on Friday 22nd of June I was arrested at the gate of the Hilton hotel while the International Press Institute congress was going on.

    “I was taken to the office of the DSS by 11:30 in the morning and subsequently by 5pm I was taken to my house for a search of my residence. When we got to my house, it was at the point I was formally informed of why I was arrested. The search warrant that was used stated clearly that I’m being accused of sponsoring a proscribed organisation, IPOB, and so that the search was to look for evidence of such.

    “After the search, which took about five to six hours, I was taken to the office of DSS at about 12 midnight and now kept there. The late musician that Nigerians know very well called Fela said ‘when you are inside, you are in inside world, when you are outside, you are in outside world.’

    “So when I was the inside world, the first person that received me and who helped my transition from freedom to incarceration was the former governor of Benue state, Governor Gabriel Suswam. He had been arrested on Tuesday, I was arrested on Friday. As at the time I was released last Tuesday, he told me he had not been told why he was arrested.

    “But Mr President, I have been released through the intervention of all well-meaning Nigerians led by you and the leadership of the Senate. I’m very glad and grateful. I want to use this opportunity to thank all Nigerians who were very concerned who did everything to secure my release.”

    “Let me also say Mr President that nothing has been found on the allegation that was made. Up till this moment, I am still on bail, administrative bail by the DSS and so every morning I have to report to the DSS but these things are going to be challenged [in court]. What everybody has asked me is that where do we go from here?”

    On his next move, Abaribe vowed to continue to tell the truth, saying that supporting an inefficient president would only amount to him not been patriotic.

    Though he did not mention his name, the senator appeared to be directing his statement at President Muhammadu Buhari, who he has always been critical of.

    “I want to crave your indulgence to tell every Nigerian where I want to go. I will do it by giving you Mr President and my distinguished colleagues, a quotation from the 26th president of the United States of America, Theodore Roosevelt.

    “That quotation reads ‘patriotism means to stand by the country, it does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, same to the degree to which a president stands by the country. It is patriotic to support a president if so far as he efficiently serve the country. It is unpatriotic to not to oppose a president who fails to stand by his duty to do well for the country. And it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth whether about the president or anyone else.’

    “I will continue to tell the truth, I will continue to stand by this country, I will continue to say that no person is bigger than this country,” he said.

  • Tension as DSS operatives invade Ekiti school, arrest teachers

    There was tension on Tuesday in Ekiti State as some operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) invaded a popular secondary school in Ado-Ekiti, Ola Oluwa Muslim Grammar School, and arrested some members of staff.

    Those arrested are the Secretary to the Principal, one Mrs. Olagbemi, and an Office Assistant, one Mrs. Ogunrinde.

    They were arrested for allegedly collecting Permanent Voter Cards from teachers.

    The Principal of Olaoluwa Muslim Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Sunmonu Olaoye, confirmed the arrest to journalists.

    He said the DSS officers came in some Hilux vehicles and right from the gate of the school, they started harassing people as if they were on a war mission.

    “The DSS operatives were in black uniforms and also wore black masks and headed for my office. I wasn’t in the office but I was on the premises to monitor the ongoing third term examinations. Some of my staff members were in my office making photocopies of their documents including their PVCs.

    “I allowed them to make use of the school’s facilities because I don’t want anything to disrupt the ongoing examinations. The DSS people just swooped on the teachers, seized their documents including their PVCs and took away two members of staff. They also locked up my office and denied us access to examination materials we were to give to our students.

    “I don’t know when making photocopies of documents including PVCs became an offence. One of the operatives even called my number saying I must report in their office within an hour or I would be treated as a common criminal.

    “We have 123 teachers in the school and the people are resolved on who they will vote for during the poll regardless of intimidation and harassment.”

    Olaoye calls for the release of those arrested because they did not commit any offence and that their documents including their PVCs should be returned to them.

    “We are in a democracy and people reserve the right to vote the candidate of their choice. Harassing or intimidating people is not a democratic practice,” he added.

     

  • After two years in DSS detention, another competent court orders Dasuki’s release on bail

    …Lambasts FG for Disrespect to the Rule of Law

    After over two years in the detention of the Department of the State Security Service (DSS), a Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Federal Government to release former National Security Adviser (NSA) Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) on bail.

    The reprieve for Dasuki who was clamped into detention since December 29, 2015, came in the judgement of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in the fundamental human right suit filed by the Ex-NSA.

    Dasuki who had been granted bail by four different High Courts in Nigeria and ECOWAS Court of Justice, in the suit argued by his counsel, Ahmed Raji, urged the court to compel the Federal Government to obey all court orders for his release from detention. In the latest judgement, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu ordered that Dasuki be released on bail in the sum of N200million and two sureties in the like sum.

    The court said that one of the sureties must be a federal government employee with not less than grade level 16 who must submit to the court his letter of appointment and the last letter of his promotion to pave way for the release of Dasuki.

    In the event of a private person standing as the surety, the court held that the person must have landed property in Abuja and must submit before the court original of the property and must also swear to the affidavit of means.

    Besides, Justice Ojukwu said the surety must deposit N100 million with the registrar of the court and that the money would be returned to the surety at the end of the trial of the former NSA. Justice Ijeoma also ordered that the surety must submit to the court his recent passport photograph and that his residential address must be varied by the official of the court as part of the bail condition.

    In the judgement that lasted over one hour, Justice Ojukwu lambasted the Federal Government for unjustly arresting and detaining a Nigerian citizen for over two years without any justification contrary to the provision of the law.

    The court dismissed the claim of the security agency that Dasuki was being held in protective custody on the strength of the alleged arm and ammunition found in his house. Justice Ijeoma held that although Dasuki in the instance case had been charged to various courts on the issue, the law however presumed that the former NSA is innocent of the charges against him until the contrary is proved beyond reasonable doubt.

    The judge agreed with counsel to Dasuki Mr Ahmed Raji that Dasuki never shuns any invitation for interrogation by any of the security agencies adding that from the affidavit evidence of the former NSA, it was cleared that he had been detained since December 2015 without any investigation or interrogation.

    The judge also dismissed the claims of the Federal Government that Dasuki was being held on fresh allegations of money laundering, adding that such claims should go to the graveyard because it cannot be used to justify the detention of any Nigerian for as long as over two years without being charged to court on any fresh allegation.

    On another claim by the Federal Government that Dasuki was abusing court process by filing multiple cases in court, Justice Ijeoma dismissed the claim for being baseless and frivolous adding that in the instance case parties are different from the previous one and as such the issue of forum-shopping cannot be used against Dasuki.

    In the event of any plan to investigate Dasuki, Justice Ojukwu ordered that such investigation must be conducted during working days and that the former NSA must not be detained for whatever reason and also ordered that his travelling passport should remain with the court.

    The former NSA had dragged the Federal Government and its agencies before for the enforcement of his fundamental right to liberty claiming that he had been unlawfully detained since December 2015 without being charged top court.

    The former NSA demanded the sum of N5billion as exemplary damages for the breach of his fundamental right and the detention without trial for over two years. Although Justice Ojukwu agreed that the former NSA was illegally, unlawfully and unconstitutionally detained, she, however, did not award any damage against the Federal Government.

    Reacting to the judgement, Counsel to Dasuki, Ahmed Raji said that the judge has rekindled the hope of Nigerians in the judiciary and promise that his client would do anything humanly possible to perfect the bail condition within a reasonable time.

  • Again, Saraki summons IGP, DSS, Army over killings, abductions

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki has once again summoned the Inspector General of Police, alongside the Department of State Service and the Army to appear before the Senate to explain the reasons behind recent abductions in the country.

    Saraki on his Twitter handle on Wednesday noted that another 87 persons have been abducted off the “nation’s highways.”

    He added that the trend cannot be allowed to continue and therefore urged the security outfits to appear before the Senate.

    Saraki tweeted from his personal handle @bukolasaraki on Wednesday. “Another 87 people abducted off our nation’s highways. We cannot continue like this! We have once again requested the presence of the IGP, together with the SSS and the Army to explain to us, your representatives, why this continues to happen,” he tweeted.

    Recall that the Senate had earlier invited the IGP on three consecutive occasions but he (IGP) did not honour the invitation.

  • Court bars Police, EFCC, DSS, from searching Wike’s houses

    The Federal High Court Abuja has barred the Nigerian Police, the EFCC and the Department of State Security Service, (DSS) from searching houses belonging to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers.

    Wike had in 2017, approached the court seeking an order of injunction restraining the IGP, the Police, the EFCC and the DSS from obtaining a search warrant to search any of his houses.

    Delivering judgement on the matter on Wednesday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed noted that the defendants were in agreement that the plaintiff, Wike, could not be investigated based on the provision of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution.

    Justice Mohammed said that from the combined reading of Section 308 of the constitution, and sections 149 and 150 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA) 2015, three situations had been prohibited.

    The first, he said, was the provision that no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted against the plaintiff.

    He further said that a person covered by the provisions shall not be arrested, and thirdly, any process of court requiring appearance of a person protected under the provisions shall not be applied.

    Justice Mohammed maintained that parties in their submissions, lost the purport and intendment of section 308(1)(c) of the constitution.

    According to him, a careful reading of section 308(1)(c) shows that the constitution has prohibited court process requiring the appearance of a serving governor before any investigative panel.

    He held that the argument of the police and the EFCC that Wike’s residence could be searched without his presence was untenable.

    The judge said it was wrong for the defendants to import meaning or interpretation not included in Section 308 of the constitution by the person who drafted the constitution.

    He held that the essence of the section was to accord immunity to a serving governor so as not to cause distractions to the governor in the act of governance.

    The judge dismissed the objections of the defendants and held that Wike’s suit had succeeded because it had merit.

    Wike had asked for six reliefs but the judge granted three and said while one was not grantable, the others were embedded in the ones granted.

    “The defendants cannot whether by themselves, their servants, agents, officers, privies or in any manner howsoever apply for, obtain, issue or in any way or manner howsoever execute any court process requiring; the appearance of the plaintiff who is currently the governor of Rivers.

    “A declaration that by virtue of the combined effect of section 308 of the Constitution and sections 149 and 150 of ACJA, the defendants cannot in any manner apply for, obtain, issue or execute any search warrant at the residence of the plaintiff in Abuja or in any of the plaintiff’s residence in any other place or locations in Nigeria.

    “An order that the defendants cannot by the combined effect of section 308 of the Constitution and sections 149 and 150 of ACJA, apply for, obtain, issue or execute any search warrant at the residence of the plaintiff in Abuja or in any of the plaintiff’s residence in any other place or locations in Nigeria.”

    The suit was filed in June 2017 by Mr Sylva Ogwemoh, (SAN), on behalf of Wike.

    Ogwemoh had argued that Section 308 which had to do with the immunity clause was put in place to allow serving governors concentrate on the act of governance.

    But the defendants had in opposition, argued that they had the right to search Wike’s residence even in his absence.