Dasuki Refuses To Surrender To SSS Agents

 

Contradictory reports from Abuja, the nation’s capital, saidFriday morning that Col (rtd) Sambo Dasuki, immediate-past national security adviser (NSA) has refused to surrender to operatives of the State Security Service (SSS), also known as DSS, who have invaded his Abuja home to arrest him by force, TheCable understands.

Earlier reports last night said the security agents arrested him overnight and took him to one of their detention facilities in the capital. No reason has been given yet for the effort to arrest him at all cost. And efforts to contact him by phone proved abortive.

The operatives have been laying siege on his Asokoro residence in Abuja since 6pm on Thursday and have now entered his compound. Journalists are camped outside the gate as the stand-off continues. After forcibly gaining entry into his compound, the operatives moved out all the vehicles and moved in with theirs in an operation led by an officer whose name was simply given as “Dodo” from Katsina State, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The operatives also on Thursday searched the Sokoto property of his father, Ahmed Dasuki, the former Sultan of Sokoto, and made away with documents.

The operatives only said they are looking for arms and counter-terrorism documents from the former NSA’s residence. Although they produced a search warrant, they did not have an arrest warrant. As a result, Dasuki said he would not surrender to the SSS operatives because he believes there is no “legal basis” for what they are doing.

He was officially relieved of his position on Tuesday, but he was taken unawares by the SSS which stormed his residence and made away with files and documents.

DSS arrests ex-NSA Dasuki in Abuja, earlier reports

Operatives of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) last night arrested former national security adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) in his private residence at Asokoro, Abuja.

The DSS operatives in four Hilux vans, led by one Mohammed, stormed the Asokoro residence of the former NSA at about 6:40pm and laid siege on the residence, insisting on seeing Dasuki.

According to sources, military operatives guarding the home prevented the DSS operatives from gaining entry into the premises which prompted the latter to threaten to force their way in.

A similar scenario played out in Sokoto, in the home owned by the former NSA’s father, Ibrahim Dasuki, a former Sultan of Sokoto, where some other DSS operatives also stormed the home apparently in search of the retired colonel.

The operatives who visited the Dasukis’ Sokoto home were said to have searched the property, including a large container that had been in the compound for many years. They locked in all occupants of the house and would not allow anyone in or out of the building.

The invasion of the erstwhile NSA’s home may not be unconnected with media reports of a planned probe of the defence budget and other alleged abuses of office by the immediate-past service chiefs who were relieved of their duties this week.

The DSS operatives later in the night whisked away the former NSA to one of their facilities in Abuja for interrogation.

A security source last night confirmed the arrest of Dasuki but as at press time, no reason was given for the former NSA’s arrest.

Every attempt to get the DSS to react to the incident failed as the former spokesman of the service, Marilyn Ogar, had been removed and no replacement has been announced yet