Former Director at the Department of State Services, Mr. Mike Ejiofor
A former director at the Department of State Services, Mr. Mike Ejiofor, tells BAYO AKINLOYE it is illegal and unconstitutional to replace the DSS operatives at the Presidential Villa with any other security agency
Which security agency is saddled with the responsibility of providing close body protection for President Muhammadu Buhari?
Since the Fourth Republic began in 1999, it has been the statutory obligation of the State Security Service to protect the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is the best practice all over the world. Therefore, the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is to be protected at the inner ring by the Department of State Services operatives. I premised that view on the fact that the DSS was established by the Nigerian law to specifically handle the security of the country’s president who at this material point in time is President Buhari. It is not by a wish or executive fiat that one can change a statutory responsibility or function of the DSS without recourse to reversing the law. Section 2(I )(ii) of Instrument No.SSS 1 of May 23, 1999 made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies Decree of 1986, which has been re-enacted as Section 6 of NSA Act CAP N74 LFN 2004, takes care of this matter.
Could there have been some ambiguities somewhere as regards which agency should provide bodyguard protection for the President?
This is a situation that should never have occurred in the first place. It is quite pathetic that there was an alleged inter-agency rivalry as to who should guard the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The crisis should not have arisen in the first place because the roles of various security agencies guarding the president of this country are clearly spelt out; same thing with their beats. It is not a matter left for the discretion of anybody –not even the President. It is the DSS’ statutory duty or oversight to protect not just the president but also the vice president, the senate president, deputy senate president, the speaker, deputy speaker, governors, deputy governors and other top government functionaries including their families.
But some have argued that this so-called statutory duty of the DSS can be performed by any of the other security agencies. Don’t you think so?
Anyone saying that any of the security agencies in the country apart from the DSS, is saddled with the statutory duty to provide close protection or security for the president and other very important personalities in government, does not know what he is saying and the person is ignorant of the law. Let me provide a little bit of education on that. In providing adequate security for the president and other top government officials, there are three rings of protection. The first ring of protection is the outer ring protection. This outer ring is manned by the military. Then, you have the middle ring. This middle ring protection is manned by the combination of the Nigeria Police and the military. And you have the last ring, which is the inner ring. The inner ring is manned by the Department of State Services. Let me clearly point out here that the overall protection of the president is not the exclusive responsibility of the DSS. Such protection requires the coordination of other security institutions in the country to ensure maximum safety. But be that as it may, the close body protection of the Nigerian president is the exclusive responsibility of the DSS. The inner circle is manned by the DSS operatives. Neither the police nor the military are charged with the responsibility of providing close body protection. While all the other security agencies are also saddled with the responsibility of providing security for the president and other top government officials, the DSS operatives are charged with the body guard protection.
President Buhari, having been a top security personnel and a military Head of State before is expected to know these things too. Do you think he’s lost confidence in the DSS?
I believe the purported directive that the DSS operatives at the Presidential Villa should be relocated to another part of the villa outside of their traditional beat would not have come from the President himself. I am sure that must have been the handiwork of his aides who might have some scores to settle with the DSS. And this is uncalled-for. This is a matter of national security which goes beyond settling old political scores. Nevertheless, this can be understood against the backdrop of the roles various security agencies had played during the last administration. You remember the bellicose situation between former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the then Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu; the tear-gassing of lawmakers in the House of Representatives during the Aminu Tambuwal era; the deployment of military in Osun State governorship election and a similar incident in Ekiti State. You also remember the raiding of the All Progressives Congress’ data centre by the security operatives.
We must however understand that there is a thin line between professionalism and partisanship –the state security agencies have to be loyal to the person in government though not at the detriment of national security. Loyalty is very vital. All these are perceptions. The security agencies will have to strike a balance in ensuring that at no time is national security put at risk. Even during the Peoples Democratic Party’s rule at the centre, there were DSS operatives who were sympathetic to the cause of the APC. What I expect the Presidency or the Federal Government to do, if it suspects the loyalty of the agency, is to probe the agency to see if its leadership has been compromised to the point of becoming a national risk. It is at this point necessary actions can be taken but in accordance with the law establishing the DSS.
Are you saying it is illegal to assign the statutory role of the DSS to any other security agency in the country?
It is not only illegal, it is also unconstitutional. Why do that? Everyone’s responsibilities are clearly spelt out. This is not about politics. It is true that the appointments of security chiefs are political but this should in no way hinder the performance of statutory duties of security institutions in the country. It will be unhealthy to play politics with national security, especially the safety and protection of the President. Buhari’s aide-de-camp, Lt.-Col. Lawal Abubakar, does not have the authority to give directives to the DSS operatives as to where their beat should be.
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