SSS Maintains Siege On Dasuki’s House, Shuns Court Order

The siege on the home of a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, by officials of the State Security Service, SSS, was still on, Sunday, despite a court order.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday reacted angrily to the siege on Mr. Dasuki’s house despite an earlier ruling he gave permitting the retired colonel to travel abroad for medical treatment. “My own orders will not be flouted” the judge said on Friday, while re-iterating his stance that the former security chief be allowed to travel for medical treatment.

It could not be confirmed if the SSS had been served with Friday’s court order as the Service is yet to appoint a spokesperson.

Mr. Dasuki had returned to the court to sue the Federal Government for still plotting to re-arrest him despite the earlier court order.

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DSS Continues Siege As Dasuki Returns To Court

Operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, have continued to lay siege to the Abuja residence of former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) and the former NSA would be in court today (Monday) to enforce his fundamental rights.

Dasuki’s house in Abuja has been under siege, with DSS operatives restricting the movement of the retired military colonel and that of other people coming into the residence.

The operatives are insisting on delivering personally, a letter of invitation for him to appear before a committee set up by the government to probe arms purchase while he (Dasuki) held sway as NSA.

“I told them that if it is just a letter of invite, they can drop it with my domestic staff, but they insisted that I must come out and collect it myself.

“I told them that unless they had a warrant allowing them to arrest me, I do not have to collect the letter from them and I am also not going anywhere without my lawyer,” Dasuki  has said.

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DSS Explains Siege To Dasuki’s House

The Department of State Security, DSS, has debunked the claim that its operatives invaded the home of the former National Security Adviser in defiance of a court order granting him permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The DSS in a statement, explained that the action by its officers is caused by the refusal of Mr. Dasuki to honour an invitation by a committee investigating his alleged involvement in the 2 billion dollars arms procurement process by the past administration.

The statement added that his refusal to appear before the committee compelled the DSS to adopt a legal means to ensure his attendance.

Press Release

The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been brought to the report making rounds that its operatives illegally blocked the residence of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo DASUKI (Col/Rtd), in violation of a subsisting court order granting him a relief to travel oversea for medical services. This is to say the least that such report is not only unfounded and malicious but aimed at tarnishing the good image of the Service.

  1. It may be recalled that SAMBO was initially arrested and charged to court for unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering, for which reason his international passport was seized and on the order of the court, returned to the registrar for custody. What has however brought the seeming standoff between SAMBO and the Service, despite the court-ordered release of his international passport on 4th November, 2015, is his refusal to appear before a Committee undertaking the investigation of an entirely different case.
  2. The public may wish to note that the government set up the Committee to investigate procurement processes relating to a two billion dollar ($2billion) arms transaction by the last administration, under which SAMBO was the NSA. It was on this premise that he was invited by the Committee to shed more light on his involvement in the deal. It, therefore, remains surprising and shocking that SAMBO has refused to honour invitations of the Committee but instead resorts to grandstanding and subtle blackmail of the Service. His refusal to appear before the Committee has left the Service with no option than to adopt legal means to ensure his attendance.
  3. Therefore, without doubt, SAMBO is pulling all strings available to him to evade justice and put the Service in bad light. The simple fact is that the DSS is not persecuting him. Nigerians are therefore enjoined to disregard the impression being created by him. This Service wishes to re-emphasise its commitment to the rule of law and strict adherence to democratic ideals. However, any person or group, no matter how highly placed, that may wish to test the will of the present democratic dispensation, will definitely be checked through the legal provisions of the law.

Tony OPUIYO

Department of State Services,

Abuja.

4th November, 2015

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DSS Lays Siege To Dasuki’s House

There seems to be a fresh attention on the home of the former National Security Adviser, Retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, as men of the Department of State Security (DSS) have increased their presence.

It is not exactly clear why the fresh occupation is taking place but there are strong indication that Colonel Dasuki is being prevented from seeking medical attention abroad.

Although agency report says he has been placed on house arrest as his home in the nation’s capital, Abuja is currently surrounded by men of the DSS.

The former NSA was charged to court with illegal possession of arms following a siege to his Abuja home and subsequent arrest in July. The charge against him was later expanded to include money laundering.

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PDP Crisis Intensifies As Staff Lay Siege, DSS Storms Secretariat

The national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was Monday almost turned into a battle ground as the staff members laid siege at the premises, spoiling for war with members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

Reports gathered made members of the NWC to stay away from the party’s headquarters, for fear of being attacked by the aggrieved workers. Following the mounting tension, operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) stormed the party’s national secretariat, obviously to assess situation on ground.

Three of the DSS officials were sighted at the premises at about 12.15p.m., when they went upstairs and stayed for over 30 minutes as the directors were meeting with leaders of the aggrieved workers. The DSS officials left the party premises shortly afterwards.

It was further gathered that the NWC had resolved to dialogue with the aggrieved staff, following the meeting held by the party directors with leaders of the workers’ welfare committee at the party’s national secretariat yesterday.

A  member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, said the problem started when some workers were brought into the party by their godfathers who had since defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The fear at the party headquarters is that these workers, who owe allegiance to the godfathers that facilitated their employment in the PDP will be passing sensitive information and documents to their godfathers in the APC,” he said.

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NDLEA Defiles Court Order, Maintains Siege On Kashamu’s House

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said that an order issued by a federal court, Tuesday, directing its personnel to vacate Buruji Kashamu’s home, would not stop it from performing its statutory responsibilities “in a lawful manner”.

Mr. Kashamu, a prominent member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party and Senator-elect for Ogun East, is wanted in the United States for drug related offences.

A Court in Lagos had issued a ruling ordering NDLEA operatives who had laid a siege on Mr. Kashamu’s home in Lagos, since the early hours of Saturday, to vacate the politician’s house.

The NDLEA said its operatives placed Mr. Kashamu under house arrest after it received a formal extradition request from the U.S.

On Monday, Mr. Kashamu failed to appear for the extradition hearing, with his lawyers claiming that the anti-narcotics agency did not have a court warrant for the house arrest.

In addition to the court’s vacation order on Tuesday, the judge also summoned Mohammed Adoke and Ahmadu Giade, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Chairman of the NDLEA respectively, to appear before him at the next adjourned date.

But in a reaction to the vacation order, the NDLEA said it had not received the court order and described media reports of the judge’s decision as “diversionary and inconsequential”.

“The NDLEA does not believe that any court will issue an order preventing a government agency from performing its statutory responsibilities in a lawful manner,” Mitchell Ofoyeju, the agency’s spokesperson said in a statement.

“The agency has therefore refused to be distracted and will continue to maintain presence at the residence. It is advisable that Kashamu respects the law by submitting himself to the due process of the law.

“The NDLEA wishes to reiterate that his rights like that of other citizens shall be respected and the due process of law followed in this case.

“The agency is prepared to further increase her public rating and goodwill in the areas of suspect handling, respect for human rights and the rule of law. We are prepared to explore all legal means in handling this case to a logical conclusion.”

The NDLEA spokesperson insisted that the agency had received a formal request from the United States Government for Mr. Kashamu’s extradition.

He also said that contrary to the claims by Mr. Kashamu’s lawyers, that the agency has a provisional Warrant of Arrest on him. “According to official record, Kashamu has been a target of both the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for over 20 years and was further indicted by the Grand Jury in the Northern District of Illinois, United States on heroin trafficking charges,” Mr. Ofoyeju said.

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Court Summons NDLEA Boss Over Siege To Kashamu’s Lagos Residence

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, ordered the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke, SAN, and the chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mr Ahmadu Giade to appear before it today, over the siege laid to the Lagos residence of Senator-elect for Ogun East senatorial zone, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

Trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, in a short ruling, after Kashamu’s counsel had complained to the court of the occupation of the Senator-elect’s residence, said: “It is hereby ordered as follows:

In view of the urgent nature of this matter and in the light of subsisting judgment and court orders, instead of hearing an ex-parte application, the respondents are ordered to be put on notice to appear in court on 26/5/2015 at 12noon to be heard.

“And in view of the substantive judgement and court orders, time be and is hereby abridged for the respondents to appear,” the judge added. Meanwhile, the NDLEA said it was doing all within its constitutional power to ensure that Kashamu submits himself, adding that its officials would remain there until he appeared in court.

Kashamu is said to be wanted in the United States of America for alleged drug related crime had refused to be arrested at his Lagos residence, where operatives of the NDLEA had laid siege since Saturday, insisting that he would only submit to NDLEA upon being shown a warrant order for his arrest. NDLEA, insisted that Kashamu was on house arrest pending his scheduled appearance in court on Monday (yesterday).

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BREAKING: Australian Siege is Over

Police say a hostage situation in Sydney is over after a swarm of heavily armed police stormed a downtown cafe where a gunman had been holding an unknown number of people.

A police spokesman confirmed “the operation is over” early Tuesday but would not release any further details.

Police swooped into the Lindt Chocolat Cafe shortly after five or six hostages were seen running out of the building.

After the police moved in, one weeping woman was helped out by the officers and at least two other people were wheeled out on stretchers.

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