THE Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has submitted to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, a comprehensive report of the investigation into the blockade of the National Assembly complex by men of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday, August 7.
This is following the sacking of Lawal Daura as the director-general of the DSS and his subsequent arrest and prosecution as ordered by Osinbajo.
The Acting President had said that the blockade of the National Assembly was unauthorised and unconstitutional, adding that Daura had no clearance from the presidency before carrying out the operation.
Here are five things we learnt from the IGP’s report:
(1) ‘FALSE’ INTELLIGENCE
According to the report, the sacked DSS boss, during interrogation, said the service got an intelligence report “that unauthorised persons were planning to smuggle undisclosed dangerous weapons and incriminating items into the National Assembly complex”, hence the necessity to mobilise his men to check the situation.
“The claim of purported intelligence report by the suspect cannot be substantiated as the personnel deployed were not EOD (Explosive Ordnance Device)experts or specialists in this regard,” Idris reported.
(2) DAURA ACTED UNILATERALLY
This much had already been re-echoed by the Acting President and many other stakeholders. The DSS and all other security and intelligence agencies report only to the President, as well as take directives from him. This was not the case here.
The IGP noted that even if the intelligence report Daura said he had was substantiated, he had no authority to act on his own without briefing the President or any of the sister security agencies.
“Mr Lawal Musa Daura acted unilaterally…. He did not inform the acting president neither did he share the information with the Nigeria police or other sister security agencies,” Idris stated.
(3) ACTING OUT POLITICAL SCRIPT
The IGP stated that “it is crystal clear that the principal suspect, Lawal Musa Daura may be acting the script of some highly placed politicians to achieve selfish, political goals, hence his unilateral and unlawful decision to invade the National Assembly complex”.
Idris added that investigations are ongoing perhaps to unravel the politicians colluding with the former DSS boss to destabilise the polity.
(4) DAURA UNDER HOUSE ARREST
As it stands, Daura has been released by the police but is under house arrest as officials continue to interrogate him. He is being kept “at a private facility in Birnin Kebbi Close, off Birnin Kebbi Crescent, Garki II, Abuja”.
(5) DSS OFFICIALS’ RESIDENCES TO BE SEARCHED
The IGP, as part of his recommendations to the Acting President, suggested that “there is need to search the houses and premises of all identified suspects (in this case, all the DSS officials that took part in the NASS blockade operation)”.
“All communication gadgets such as computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices of the suspects will be thoroughly analysed,” he stated.
There are unverified reports that one of the highly placed politicians that were said to joining forces with Daura is Senate President Bukola Saraki. Reports by Premium Times and Sahara Reporters had quoted ‘reliable’ State House sources as confirming that Daura and Saraki are in some kind of unholy alliance.
Acting President Osinbajo has already approved the appointment of Mathew Seiyefa, most senior director at the DSS, as acting DG.