Passport, $40,000, nine cars, three rifles seized
Former NSA alleges plot to implicate him
The former National Security Adviser, Mr. Sambo Dasuki,
yesterday raised the alarm over what he saw as plot by
the State Security Service (SSS) to implicate him in
alleged security breaches.
He said Nigerians should know that the invasion of his
house by the SSS was a sheer witch-hunt. He said it was
sad that the operatives of the security agency broke into
his ailing father’s house in Sokoto and broke his safe.
Dasuki, who spoke exclusively with our correspondent
on the phone yesterday, said he does not deserve such
treatment because as the National Security Adviser he
did not maltreat any Nigerian.
He said he was subjected to a 12-hour ordeal from 6pm
on Thursday till 6am on Friday.
“The SSS operatives came in two trucks with a search
warrant from a Magistrate Court. The warrant gave them
the power to search for ‘illegal weapons and any
incriminating item.’ You can imagine what that is
supposed to mean.
“I left office on Tuesday and they got the warrant on
Wednesday and executed it by 6pm on Thursday.
“From 6pm on Thursday, throughout the night till about
6am this morning (Friday), they were searching my
house looking for incriminating items.
“They restricted my movement. I cannot go out and no
one can visit me. All those who attempted to see me
were stopped from doing so.
“In fact, my son was blocked from entering my
residence. My two cooks, who used to come from their
homes to prepare my meals, were also disallowed from
leaving my house.
“The only person allowed was the man who feeds my
dogs. And he only related with the dogs.
“By Friday morning, they packed away all the nine cars
in my residence. I could not go out to perform the Eid-el-
Fitr prayer because of the restriction.
Even when I sought permission to go to Eid Praying
Ground, they promised to provide a vehicle but they
never did.”
Responding to a question, Dasuki said: “This is just a
witch-hunt; they are desperately looking for something to
implicate me.
“They went to my father’s house including breaking into
the ceiling to look for incriminating documents. They
broke a safe in my father’s house.
“Also, my sister kept a 20-year old box in my father’s
house, they also forced it open. What has my father got
to do with this?
“And the old man is in hospital in London. He was
shocked to hear that they broke into his house. The good
thing is that they did not find anything.
“They brought the photocopy of a 2007 draft by my
brother, Ahmed, and asked me to comment on it. Was I
in office in 2007 as NSA? You can see the extent to
which they are ready to go to implicate me,” he said.
The State Security operatives yesterday also seized his
international passport and $40,000 cash found in his
house.
They retrieved three rifles which were being used by
members of the protective team while in office.
The disengagement of the Protective team was yet to be
completed yesterday but the SSS asked him to explain
how he came about the rifles.
At about 6 pm yesterday. the SSS operatives were
withdrawn from his residence.
Dasuki’s movement remains however restricted to the
country as his traveling documents are now with the
SSS.
According to findings, the SSS team obtained statement
from him from about 5pm till some minutes to 6pm.
A source said: “They seized the ex-NSA passport and
raised issues on how he came about the $40,000 in his
house. They went to the extent of asking him to give the
details of how he came about the cash.
“On the rifles, they repeatedly questioned him on what he
was doing with them. He took time to explain that they
belong to members of the Protective Team guarding him.
They became excited as if they had found an evidence
against him.
“I think by the time the case gets to a court, Nigerians
will know the truth or otherwise of their findings.
On the allegations against him, especially the ones
bordering on purchase of arms, funds for counter-
insurgency and the seized $15million in South Africa ,
Dasuki said: “I read some of these allegations in The
Nation but nobody has asked me some of these things
they are saying. I was not even in charge of some of
these things. How do I account for all?
“And if you want me to respond to these issues, you
have to give me access to relevant documents. You do
not need to restrict my movement. You can see that they
are just out to set me up. Even if they find a knife in my
house, they will say it is incriminating.”
“There are some who should account 10 times for some
of these allegations they are raising but they are walking
about freely, ” he added.
Dasuki, who sounded confident on the phone, said as a
retired senior military officer and ex-NSA, he ought to be
better treated.
“Everybody should know what is happening. They sent
some low-level officers, looking for something to
implicate me.
“It is just a witch-hunt. If you want me to make
clarifications on any issue, in the spirit of democracy
and the rule of Law, have the courtesy to invite me and
as a gentleman, I will honour the invitation. Sending two
trucks to lay siege on my house and restrict my
movement is just abysmal.
“For a man who left office on Tuesday, where will I run
to? I have nothing to fear.”
The former NSA said he was unfairly treated by the SSS
because when he was in charge of the nation’s security,
he was “cautious, careful and fair “in his approach.
He added: “I was fair to all as NSA. Even when I had
security cause to act on some issues, inflammatory
comments and actions against the government of the
day by those in the opposition, I exercised restraint. I did
not restrict anyone’s movement, I never asked security
agents to occupy anybody’s house.
“But that is the new change we have, this is our own
definition of democracy. All I know is that everything has
a beginning and an end in a democracy. I gave my best
for this transition, which led to the victory of the
opposition over the ruling party.


http://thenationonlineng.net/my-24-hour-sss-ordeal-by-sambo-dasuki/

Yur family must have offended the DSS.