Lawan Daura’s Reign of Terror

Fri, Aug 17, 2018 | By publisher


Cover, Featured

Lawan Daura, a former director-general of the Department of State Services, is now cooling his heels in house arrest after losing his job dramatically following the invasion of the National Assembly by his men on Tuesday, August 7; but his tenure as head of the secret service organisation will be remembered for a long time by those his reign brutally bruised

By Olu Ojewale   

FOR more than three years that he headed the Department of State Services, DSS, as director-general, Lawan Daura was like a man on a mission to eliminate any form of opposition to President Muhammadu Buhari, his fellow townsman. Like a colossus he ran the secret service organisation like a private army.

But on Tuesday, August 7, Daura’s cup of iniquities was full. He was booted out of the service like an ordinary officer who found himself on the wrong side of his boss. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who is acting as the Nigerian president in the absence of Buhari who is holidaying in the United Kingdom for 10 days, gave the former spy boss a marching order to leave the service and hand over his duties to the most senior officer in the service.

The acting president stated that Daura was sacked for the gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all acceptable notions of law and order.

The former DSS, as it has been widely reported, got the sack for ordering a siege on the National Assembly in which the lawmakers were prevented from gaining access into the complex to attend to their legitimate businesses. The event was elaborately reported by in the both conventional and social media thereby causing global embarrassment to Nigeria.

According to a newspaper report, Daura allegedly confessed that he deployed hooded operatives of the secret service to the National Assembly complex on the appointed date based on intelligence report that some unauthorised persons were planning to smuggle dangerous weapons and incriminating items into the complex.

His confession was said to be a part of the interim investigation report submitted by Idris Ibrahim, the inspector-general of Police, to Osinbajo.

Buhari
Buhari

In the report, which Daily Trust newspaper claimed to have seen, Ibrahim Idris, the inspector general of Police, IGP, Idris stated that Daura carried out the siege on the National Assembly without the approval of the acting Presidency.

“The former director-general, Department of State Security Service, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura acted unilaterally without informing the Presidency. He did not share or intimate other security agencies on the unlawful operations,” Idris allegedly said in the report.

The IGP said the purported intelligence report by Daura cannot be substantiated as the personnel deployed were not Explosive Ordnance Disposal, EOD, experts or specialist in this regard.

Indeed, the DSS under the leadership of Daura will go down in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration as the one who unleashed reins of terror on those perceived to be corrupt and opposed to the government. Nigerians are not likely to forget Daura in a hurry for daring to invade houses and arrest justices for alleged corruption; besieged and put Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel and a former national security adviser in custody for allegedly squandering millions of dollars meant to fight Boko Haram insurgence; carried out another unauthorised raid on Ekiti House of Assembly in 2016; his alleged role in protection of fugitive Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension in 2017; detaining sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah since December 2015 after the Zaria massacre in which three of his (El-Zakzaky) remaining sons, as well as hundreds of his followers, were killed by the Nigerian Army. The massacre was carried out by the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State, on Saturday, December 12 2015. Up to 348 Shi’ites Muslims, including members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria were killed.

The Army claimed that it had responded to an attempt to assassinate Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai by the Shi’ites. This claim has been strongly rejected by the Islamic Movement and several human rights organizations who argue that the massacre occurred without any provocation and that all the protestors were unarmed. Since then El-Zakzaky and his wife have been under state detention in the Department of State Service, DSS, without charge until April 2018 when Kaduna State government arraigned them in court for murder charges.  The Federal High Court in Abuja had in December 2016 ordered the release of the couple from custody but DSS refused to obey the court order.

But of the his exploits, Daura’s audacious raid on the houses and arrests of high court and supreme court justices will be a reference point for a long while.

In what was regarded as a crack down on the judiciary, operatives of the‎ DSS on Friday night, October 7, 2016, and in the early hours of Saturday, October 8, invaded residences of some judges in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Gombe, in a bid to arrest them.

The crackdown was said to have began in Gombe State with the arrest of Justice Muazu Pindigi who presided over the Rivers State election tribunal‎.

Ibrahim Idris
Idris

The DSS operations in Abuja, were carried out between late Friday night and the early hours of Saturday, when operatives of the secret service invaded the homes of Walter Onnoghen and Sylvester Ngwuta, two Supreme Court justices.

They also invaded the Abuja residencies of Justices Adeniyi Ademola and Nnamdi Dimgba, two judges of the federal high court.

Incidentally, Onoghen, who had then been pencilled as next chief justice of Nigeria and second in rank to Justice Mahmood Muhammed, the then incumbent CJN, and Ngwuta were neighbours at the Judicial Officers’ Quarters in Abuja, while Ademola and Dimgba as federal judges, lived in the Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja.

Ademola was eventually arrested in the early hours of Saturday, October 7, after several hours of siege at his home, while Dimgba’s brother was said to have been assaulted by the operatives.

In some cases, the DSS operatives allegedly “presented search warrants of doubtful authenticity with incorrect names.”

While the Gestapo manner of raid and arrests succeeded in Abuja and Gombe, that of Rivers State failed. In any case, in the failed attempt by the DSS to abduct a federal high court judge in Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike was rough-handled and wounded by the operatives of the secret service. The operation was led by Tosin Ajayi, Rivers State director of the DSS and Francis Odesanya, the Rivers State Police commissioner.

A statement issued by Simeon Nwakaudu, special assistant to the governor on Electronic Media, said the security operatives were irked by Wike’s arrival at the scene shortly after the failed abduction process began.

It was learnt that Wike received security information on the illegal moves, minutes after the operation began. According to Nwakaudu, the security operatives blocked the entrance of the residence of the federal high court judge at about 1am on Saturday, claiming that they were acting on orders from above. As they dragged Wike, they insisted that they must be allowed to leave with the judge.

However, the commotion attracted passersby and journalists who thronged the vicinity to know why scores of security agents in several patrol vans had been mobilised.

Upon the arrival of national media, Ajayi allegedly hurriedly left the scene.

Odesanya later told journalists that the two security agencies were at the scene because they received privileged information.

Odesanya claimed he was at the scene as a peace maker. He declined comments on why the Police joined the DSS to invade a serving federal high court judge’s residence.

Osinbajo
Osinbajo

In an interview with journalists at the scene of the failed arrest of the judge by the Police and DSS, Wike said it would not be under his watch that security agencies wiĺl be allowed to entrench needless impunity.

“The commissioner of Police is here, the director of DSS is here. Their operatives cocked their guns and threatened to shoot me. I have never seen that before. Again, this is to tell you what we are facing. We know that more will come. For us in this state, we shall continue to resist it.”

Wike added: “It doesn’t matter what it will cost. When you talk about liberty, sacrifices must be made. We are not trying to stop an arrest. All we are saying is that things must be done decently and in line with the rule of law.

“Rivers State is under siege. For you to see a governor out at this time of the day, something is wrong. A siege is an understatement. If this type of thing happens next time, the people wiĺl resist it to the last.”

The governor said: “They are trying to do something funny in this state, probably to declare a state of emergency.‎”

The raids caused outrage across the country, especially from members of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. Many Nigerians declared the matter as a big threat to democracy, while it was welcomed as a good development among other Nigerians.

Nevertheless, on Saturday, October 8, 2016, the DSS confirmed that it carried out the raids of the homes of some judges in Abuja and Port Harcourt because of allegations of corruption levelled against them.

At a news conference at the DSS headquarters, Abuja Garba Abdullahi, a DSS operative, explained that the department had been monitoring the lifestyles of some judges, and that it was determined to bring sanity to the judiciary. In any case, the service disclosed that more than N360 million was recovered from the residences of three judges in the raids. A breakdown of the monies allegedly recovered from the residences of Ademola, Ngwuta and Okoro, the three judges, was stated as N93,558,000; $530,087; £25,970 and €5,680.

The DSS, however, claimed that Wike frustrated the raid of the house of one of the seven judges in which it alleged about $2 million was being kept. Wike rejected the charge.

Interestingly, despite the allegations, none of the judges has been convicted.

Besides, Justice Onoghen who was embarrassed and humiliated by the DSS operatives’ raid on his house was never charged and he is now the chief justice of Nigeria.

Another victim of the DSS under Daura is Jones Abiri, a journalist and publisher of the Weekly Source Magazine, based in Bayelsa State. Abiri regained his freedom on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 after more than two years in detention. The journalist was arrested in his office in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on July 21, 2016, on alleged link to armed militancy in the Niger Delta region. Following some public pressure, Abiri was charged to court on July 27, this year. The court initially granted him N2million bail, but the bail condition was later reviewed.

Saraki
Saraki

But Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel and former national security adviser, was not as lucky. For many days Dasuki was under the DSS siege and his houses in Abuja and Sokoto were raided by the security operatives.

The DSS raided Dasuki’s houses on July 15, 2015, barely two months after Buhari assumed office, and laid siege for nearly 24 hours. It announced later that it had impounded five bullet-proof cars and large cache of arms and ammunitions from his residence

The DSS had issued a statement saying its action was necessitated by credible intelligence which linked him to acts capable of undermining national security.

On Monday August 24, 2015, he was charged to court on offenses relating to possession of fire arms without license punishable under section 27(i)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act Cap F28 LFN 2004.

Dasuki, who is still standing trial for alleged unlawful possession of firearm and money laundering was granted leave to travel over-sea for treatment by the court on Tuesday, November 3, 2015. Ever since, Dasuki has not regained his freedom and neither has the DSS honoured court orders that he be allowed to travel abroad on health ground.

In fact, one of the reasons being adduced in some quarters was that the DSS raids on the houses of some of the judges was caused by their pronouncements against the secret service while handling Dasuki’s case.

For instance, on Friday, November 13, 2015, Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the federal high court sitting in Abuja, directed the DSS operatives to end their siege on Dasuki’s home and reprimanded the service for disregarding his earlier order.

“Court order must be obeyed. What is wrong in the defendant travelling and coming back to face trial? Only a fit person can stand for trial and investigation. My own orders will not be flouted,” the judge fumed.

However, subsequent orders were similarly disregarded, including orders by the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

The DSS under Daura demonstrated lack of harmony between the service and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. In fact, it is safe to say that the DSS was perhaps, the obstacle that has prevented the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as the chairman of the EFCC up to date. In a letter dated October 3, 2016 addressed to the clerk of the senate, in reference to a letter by the Senate, dated 21, 2016, asking for Magu’s security check, the DSS listed several alleged malpractices against Magu. Part of the allegations was his being in possession of the EFCC documents in his private residence during the tenure of Farida Waziri as the anti-graft boss. The DSS similarly made reference to the circumstances surrounding Magu’s arrest and detention sometimes ago by the Nigeria Police. It also alleged that the sum of N40million rent for an apartment, where Magu is currently staying, which costs N20m per annum, was paid for by a presidential appointee who had been under investigation by the EFCC. The DSS further alleged that after renting the apartment, the friend awarded a N43m contract for the furnishing of the apartment. The appointee, who is a retired air commodore, was said to be a close ally and associate of the anti-graft boss.

Based on those allegations and some issues that Magu had with the Senate, his confirmation was rejected.

As if that was not bad enough, Daura also thwarted efforts of the EFCC to arrest Ita Ekpeyong and Ayo Oke, both former directors general of the DSS and National Intelligence Agency, NIA, respectively in November 2017. The EFCC had stormed the houses of the former two government officials but the DSS, having a superior fire power, had prevented their arrest. According to information, the EFCC had invited Ekpeyong on a matter it was investigating on procurement of arms and equipment but had refused to honour the invitation. Ekpeyong was removed from office in july 2015 because of his alleged partisan under formeresident Goodluck Jonathan.

Oke, on his part, was sacked by the then acting President Osinbajo in October 2017, for his alleged involvement in the $43.4 belonging to the NIA, which was found in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos. The apartment was said to have been owned by his wife. Hence, the EFCC had invited him for questioning. But just like Ekpeyong, he had ignored the invitation.

Invariably, Magu went to court to enforce compliance, but Daura had stood his ground by refusing to allow both Ekpeyong and Oke to honour the EFCC invitations.

Ironically, Daura was said to have provided security for Maina, whom he knew was running from justice, having being declared wanted by the Police for alleged embezzlement of billions of Naira belonging to pensioners. The DSS under Daura reportedly provided accommodation for the fugitive. He said the service gave Maina protection in line with the Nigerian constitution and universal practice. “Because of the right to life granted by our constitution and universally recognised, Maina’s case was directed to be looked into so as not to allow his life to be in jeopardy,” he said.

Irked by Daura’s audacious behaviour, Attahiru Bafarawa, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the federal government of handling his case with “kid gloves.”

DasukiAddressing journalists in Minna, Niger State on Monday, August 13, Bafarawa said if Daura was to be an opposition party member, he would have been handed over to the EFCC for investigation and prosecution.

Monima Daminabo, a social commentator, described Daura’s siege to the National Assembly as coup de tat. He said whatever reason that the former DG of the DSS might have offered for his action should not be accepted, saying he had violated the Nigerian constitution and he should be brought to book.

Frank Odita, former commissioner of Police in Lagos State, said what Daura had done during his tenure as security boss was to abandon his assignment and pursue politics. “He wasn’t doing what he was appointed to do. His job as DSS boss was to source for information and feed the security agencies with valid security information.

“But during his time, he became a visible policeman, whereas he needed to be out of public space. But it looks like he was a tool for the politicians. He was doing certain things that are not actually the best thing for his organisation. He has no business blocking the National Assembly.”

In the same breath, Ebongabasi Ekpe-Juda, security expert, said the former DSS boss had failed. “His tenure witnessed so much constitutional breaches. He terrorised the country and that has giving Buhari a bad name. I don’t know why Buhari kept quiet and allowed him that long and is one of those things that will work against Buhari in his next campaign.

“It was a reign of terror in the country. The DSS is not supposed to be seen like the normal police, it is supposed to be an organisation that works on the background. People should not even see them,” Ekpe-Juda said.

In order to retain its position as a trusted security organisation, he enjoined the service to reappraise its mode of operations. “The DSS is a force that should work quietly unknown by the people, unidentified by the people. But this one they have made them to be guiding premises is wrong because DSS is meant to uncover criminal activities where people would not recognise it.

“But this one that are masked and wear uniforms, it doesn’t give them that kind of secrecy. Rather it has made them to become another force or trying to be a superior police force. There job is to uncover information but they are now doing physical policing.

Seiyefa
Seiyefa

“So for the next director general of DSS, he has to reappraise and make DSS be what it is supposed to be. DSS is not supposed to man road blocks, block someone’s house or office. They are supposed to gather intelligence.

Ekpe-Juda regretted that Daura’s actions and inactions had undermined the anti-corruption fight of the administration. He said if the nation were to be in a good democratic government, Daura would have been probed for his actions and the alleged money found in his house. “We need to know what the money is meant for. What is he doing with PVCs?” he said.

Besides, Ekpe-Juda said Daura’s actions showed that the DSS was Buhari’s fighting army, serving the interest of his master rather than the country.

Whatever anyone thinks or may think, the game seems to be up for Daura. But whether Buhari will allow him to get away with all his alleged crimes, especially that of treasonable act against the National Assembly is anybody’s guess. What the former DG of the DSS had demonstrated to Nigerians was that he was, perhaps, a law unto himself while he was in charge of the nation’s secret service.

– Aug. 17, 2018 @ 17:39 GMT |

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