The Department of State Services has widened its investigations of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), to include probe of the two failed negotiations and peace deals with the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

The botched peace deals were said to have occurred under Dasuki’s watch as the NSA. The failed peace deals had been midwifed by Dasuki and Hassan Tukur, a former principal secretary to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

The PUNCH learnt that the DSS would invite officials of the Jonathan administration involved in the deal for interrogation.

A source   at the DSS said, “The ongoing investigation into the tenure of Dasuki as the NSA will also look into the various botched peace deals and negotiations with Boko Haram, which failed to provide a meaningful solution to the insurgency ravaging the North-East.

“We are interested in these past issues because huge amounts of public money were involved and we cannot just close our eyes to it.”

It was learnt that the ongoing probe was meant to establish all those who were culpable in the “fake negotiations.”

Millions of dollars were allegedly paid to representatives of the sect that were involved in the two failed negotiations, the last of which was said to have held in Saudi Arabia.

In one of the negotiations, conmen posing as Boko Haram members had demanded a ceasefire from security forces as a precondition for further negotiations with the Federal Government.

The Jonathan administration accepted the deal and parted with money and gave other concessions in order to appease the terrorist group in a bid to put an end to their murderous onslaught against the nation.

On October 17, 2014, the Federal Government announced that it had reached a ceasefire deal with the Boko Haram sect.

The then Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, had issued a directive to the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force as well as the Inspector-General of Police to comply with the ceasefire agreement in all theatres of operations.

The Voice of America quoted Tukur as disclosing the breakthrough in an interview in Saudi Arabia where the peace talks were brokered by officials of Chad and Cameroon.

The VOA also interviewed one Danladi Ahmadu, who claimed to be the Secretary-General of Boko Haram. He said that “the Chibok girls were in good condition and unharmed.”

But few weeks after, the alleged peace deal began to unravel as the sect did not release the 219 abducted Chibok schoolgirls. The sect also escalated its attacks against targets in the North-East zone.

One of our correspondents learnt that the leadership of the DSS believed that the Boko Haram deals were used to scam the government of huge sums of money.

The DSS had earlier arrested some impostors that participated in the scheme, including an aide to Borno State Governor, Junaid Khadi, and six other associates of the self-styled Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis, who claimed to be close to Boko Haram commanders.

The other suspects included Abubakar Yusuf (a.k.a. Baba Sani); Saleh Ibrahim (a.k.a Liman Ibrahim) Abdullahi Saleh (a.k.a Babadale), Nurudeen Ibrahim; Mubarak Adamu (a.k.a Molo) and Mustapha Maidugu (a.k.a Musty/Small).

The suspects, who were paraded before newsmen on December 16, 2014, admitted that they were not members of the terrorist group.

An aide of Dasuki, who confided in one of our correspondents, challenged the DSS to prove the allegations against him rather than subjecting security issues to politics.

The former NSA’s aide stated further that the DSS should be aware of the Villa that made the second announcement about the peace deal and should not tie everything to Dasuki.

He said, “It is unfair, this is not okay. Once highly classified, intelligence issues are brought to the fore to malign individuals; it may be detrimental to peace and security.

“Dasuki went to some neighbouring countries to enlist their support in the fight against Boko Haram, and they too have gone to those countries; why are they not talking about that. Most of the things they are talking about are lies.

“We should be careful with politicising security issues; they should ask themselves which office made the announcement about the last aborted deal with Boko Haram.

“And why is it fashionable for them to hang everything on him (Dasuki). If they have anything on him, they should prove it.”

The DSS on Tuesday refused to comment on its investigation of   Dasuki.

However, Gordon Obua, the Chief Security Officer to Jonathan, spoke at the DSS headquarters, where he assured Nigerians that he was alive and healthy. He said he was being treated with dignity by his employers, the DSS, which had kept him in detention for about one week.

Obua, who addressed journalists at the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, denied rumours that he had died and thanked his family members and Nigerians for their concern.

There were reports that the health of the former CSO had deteriorated on account of his battle with diabetes and hypertension and lack of access to medical care.

The DSS operative, who walked unaided into the conference room to address newsmen, dispelled speculation that he was being maltreated by the secret service.

But Obua, who spoke for about three minutes, declined to take questions from journalists. Immediately after his speech, he quietly walked away with the operatives that brought him to the room.

He said, “This morning (Tuesday), my attention was drawn to reports that I had died in detention and this has caused serious anxiety within the country. I want to use this medium to thank Nigerians and members of my family who have expressed very serious concern about my wellbeing in the last six days.

“I want to use this medium to tell Nigerians and members of my family that I am hale and hearty.

“As a serving officer of DSS and having completed my tour of duty as Chief Security Officer to the last President, the service feels that I should give account of my tenure. So far, there is no adverse situation.

“Nigerians should be assured that DSS is a very responsible organisation and I am sure that nothing adverse will happen to me once it is ascertained that I did nothing wrong.”

Also on Tuesday, a retired DSS director, Mike Ejiofor, cautioned that government must first establish the identities of those it might want to negotiate with in future, stressing that it should learn from past failed peace deals.

Ejiofor, now a legal practitioner, said the government should not negotiate from the position of weakness, adding that it (government) should not be seen to be begging terrorists for peace.

He said, “Government must establish the identities of people it may want to negotiate with. It shouldn’t negotiate from a position of weakness and the idea or offer of negotiation should come from the Boko Haram and not the government; it shouldn’t be seen to be begging for peace.”

Speaking in the same vein, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, warned against negotiations with third parties, stressing that if the government must negotiate at all, it should be with the leaders of the sect.

Tsav however said he was opposed to negotiation with Boko Haram members, who he described as criminals.

http://www.punchng.com/news/dasuki-dss-extends-probe-to-botched-bharam-deals/

Good move. Pls make it fast

Its obvious that the Boko Haram deals were used to scam the government of billions. So the deals must be probed. If nothing tangible comes out of this probe, I ld b forced to believe we are still in the GEJ era.

I believe in you, Daura!

Thorough Investigation on any leader in Nigeria reveals the skeletons they hide but to What gain is it to tax payers...?

kodded:


chai




buhari mumu no be small

now, if dem ask u why u say buhari mumu, u won't b able to say anything reasonable. Pikin too full ds nairaland sef. Mtcheew

kodded:

#BlindFollowers defending their mumu president

abeg go die joor! Bleeding bigot

Yes at least we all know about this deals with a so called Danladi Ahmadu.

Later some individuals will come and start shouting 'witch hunt'. With time, the machiavelian hammer will land on all those corrupt individuals that made a mess of this country!.