30 local divers search for corps members’ bodies Police quiz Daura as Seiyefa emerges acting DSS boss We’ll identify, punish N/Assembly invaders – Osinbajo
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) interrogated the sacked Director General of the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) Lawal Daura after his appointment was terminated by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, credible sources told Daily Trust last night.
The embattled former DG was questioned as to why DSS operatives carried out a blockade of the National Assembly, which the acting president described as an “unlawful act” done “without the knowledge of the Presidency.”
Daura, who was appointed on July 2, 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari, was summoned by the acting president and his sack was announced 45 minutes into
his meeting with Osinbajo. The meeting was also attended by Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris.
Daily Trust reports that the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, was seen entering the office of the Acting president at 1.50pm yesterday. Five minutes after Kyari’s arrival, a statement was issued by the spokesperson of the acting president, Mr. Laolu Akande, announcing Daura’s sack “with immediate effect.”
“Mr. Daura has been directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the State Security Service until further notice,” the terse statement said.
After the meeting with Osinbajo, Daily Trust learnt, Daura was whisked away by security operatives through the ‘backdoor’, thereby beating State House reporters who were awaiting his exit via the main entrance, from where he earlier entered.
The sacked DSS boss left behind his two official vehicles at the State House. At 2.17pm, the black SUVs were taken away by DSS operatives.
The sacked DG was taken to the Guzape offices of the NPF in a convoy of police vehicles where he was questioned.
Police spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, could not be reached last night but a source said it was important to investigate the matter and also to detain Daura while the leadership transition at the DSS headquarters in Abuja was in play.
Daura who succeeded Ita Ekpeyong as DSS boss started his career in the service in1982 and rose to the position of director before he left in 2007.
The most senior director at the DSS, Matthew B. Seiyefa, who was named as the acting head of the agency, met briefly with the acting president at the State House yesterday.
Seiyefa is the erstwhile Director of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) and the highest ranking director in the Service.
He was also at one time Director Base Command, Lagos; Director Directorates of Intelligence and Operation between 2007 and 2010; State Director Security in various states including Osun, Akwa Ibom, Oyo and Niger states.
Seiyefa enlisted into the Nigerian Security Organization (NSO) in 1984 after completing his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme at the School of Islamic and Legal Studies (SILS) Kano.
He hails from Ekeremor in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. He had his primary education at Local Authority Primary School, Ekeremor before proceeding to Government College, Ughelli in Delta State for Secondary Education.
He also attended the University of Jos, where he obtained a Bachelor of Law (Honours) Degree in 1982, and was called to bar after attending the Nigeria Law School, Victoria Island Lagos.
He attended the Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos in 2006, and the University of Boston in 2015.
Our correspondents report that the masked DSS men stormed the National Assembly as early as 6:30am and blocked the gate, preventing everybody including lawmakers, staff and journalists from gaining access.
A number of PDP lawmakers besieged the gate at about 6:50.am, demanding that they be allowed entry into the premises, with Sen Ben Murray Bruce alleging the former Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, was the main brain behind the siege.
A female lawmaker, Boma Goodhead, who arrived at about 8.am, created a scene when she confronted the DSS men to “shoot” at the lawmakers. She later forced her way into the premises, creating avenue for other PDP lawmakers to go in.
It was observed that all along, no APC lawmaker was present during the siege as the PDP lawmakers increased. The siege lasted up to 3pm, before the DSS men withdrew, after news began filtering in that Daura was sacked.
Meanwhile, the acting president has condemned the invasion of the National Assembly by the DSS, describing it as an unauthorized takeover, a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all acceptable notions of law and order.
The acting president in a statement by Akande assured Nigerians that “all persons within the law enforcement apparatus who participated in this travesty will be identified and subjected to appropriate disciplinary action.”
Speaking after meeting with Osinbajo, IGP said the police did not participate in the invasion of National Assembly and has not gotten a detailed briefing on the invasion.
Osinbajo also met with acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu.
Some senators and members of the House of Representatives said yesterday that the sacked DG of DSS had all along been working for the enemies of the APC-led government.
Some of the lawmakers even alleged that the National Assembly siege was done in connivance between the DSS and some forces in the National Assembly to embarrass the government.
This is even as members of the Parliamentary Support Group (PSG) insisted that the Senate must be reconvened to consider the pending budget for the 2019 general elections and other matters of urgent national importance.
Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, while commending Osinbajo for sacking Daura, said the ex-DSS chief has been a mole.
Na’Allah, in a statement issued from Washington DC on Tuesday, said “For me I will say I am vindicated having earlier complained to the Acting President and the National Security Adviser and so many well-meaning members of the administration on the conduct of the Daura.
“He was a man who spent the entire period of appointment shopping for enemies for the government. Every lover of Buhari administration knows that Lawal Daura was a huge minus to anything the administration of President Buhari stands for.
“It will be in the overall interest of our democracy to subject his past activities to scrutiny with a view of bringing him to justice.”
Some of the lawmakers who spoke to Daily Trust separately said the siege was stage-managed to score some political points and scuttle all attempts to reconvene the National Assembly.
A senator also said all the speculations about attempts to impeach Saraki yesterday was a ploy to divert attention and postpone the meeting between the National Assembly leadership and the management of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be led by the national chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu.
”They’re all telling lies. What happened has exposed them. They said we would invade NASS, but they were the ones that did. We didn’t meet with Daura and we never intended to go to NASS.
“We’ll insist on reconvening. If they don’t reconvene, it means he (Saraki) wants to sabotage the elections. The truth has shown itself now,” he said.
Another lawmaker said the sacked DSS DG, Daura, did great damage to the Buhari-led government by working with the enemies of the president within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yet another lawmaker said the siege was an affront on the legislature, especially because the Executive arm was the one calling on the National Assembly to reconvene and consider the election budget among other national issues.
“We’re suspecting that it is the handiwork of Saraki to spoil the government’s name, but as you can see, they have been exposed since their chief collaborator has been sacked,” another lawmaker said.
But some lawmakers close to Saraki said the Senate president could not do such a thing as he regards the National Assembly as the bastion of the country’s democracy, which must be protected.
Bode Ayorinde (PDP, Ondo) said the allegation was an “arrant nonsense. So Saraki instigated all the atrocities of DSS in the past, including the siege on his house and that of the DSP. Honestly I should be excused from this unintelligent discussion.”
“You can see that from the way the DSS DG was sacked. Everyone saw the movement of the DSS today. Was there anything to suggest that Saraki might have been behind it? Nothing,” Tope Olayuonu (PDP, Kwara) said.
On his part, Hassan Saleh (PDP, Benue) described any suggestion linking Saraki with the DSS siege as “patently fake news” meant to serve as “facesaving mechanism.”
Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (PDP, Abia) dismissed the insinuation, asking rather rhetorically, “Does the Senate President have control over the DSS? You see, that is impossible.”
Saraki will address a press conference today. He and Speaker Yakubu Dogara have postponed the meeting with the INEC management indefinitely.
In a statement they jointly signed, the two National Assembly leaders said the postponement became necessary in view of the siege laid to the federal legislature.