PERSONNEL of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) and men of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) posted to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to protect President Muhammadu Buhari nearly exchanged blows on Monday at the Presidential Villa as the DSS personnel attempted to gain access into the offices
Personnel of the DSS who had reported for work in the morning were prevented from passing through the front entrance of the premises by the DMI men manning the point.
When DSS men insisted that they would go in to report at their duty posts, there was a heated argument which nearly led to exchange of fisticuffs.
It was learnt that the news of the encounter reached the Aide de Camp (ADC) to the president, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Abubakar, who then came to resolve the differences between men of the two agencies and subsequently allowed in the DSS personnel.
Tribune Online, however, learnt that though Monday's incident was apparently taken care of, it may just be only temporarily as the conflict between the two agencies over the close protection of the president has not been put to rest.
Problem arose between the two agencies when Lt. Col. Abubakar, in a recent memo, barred DSS personnel from locations inside the Presidential Villa, arguing that the armed forces and the police, trained as Presidential Body Guards (PBGs), were to “provide close/immediate protection for the president henceforth."
He had warned that DSS personnel should stay away from specific areas in the premises including “Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama.”
Abubakar added that the personnel of the DSS would however man other duty beats/locations located within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa alongside other security forces.
This instruction did not go down well with the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the president, Abdulrahman Mani, who himself is of the DSS.
Mani therefore issued a counter circular in which he directed the DSS personnel to disregard the order of the ADC, saying that the relevant statutes give DSS the responsibility of close protection for the president.
The CSO had argued: “Though further actions have been initiated in this regard, including routine redeployment of close bodyguards out of the villa, and deployment of new ones, it is important to state that the duties hitherto performed by the personnel of the DSS (SSS) in the Presidential Villa and/or any other Key Vulnerable Points (KVPs) are backed by relevant statutes and gazetted instruments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Among others, these roles include close body protection of the president in line with standard operational procedures and international best practices.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 2 (1) (ii) of Instrument No. SSS 1 of 23rd May, 1999, made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies (NSA) decree of 1986 which has been re-enacted as Section 6 of NSA Act CAP N74 LFN 2004, empowers personnel of the DSS to provide protective security for designated principal government functionaries including, but not limited to the president and vice president as well as members of their immediate families.
“It also mandates the DSS to provide protective security for sensitive installations such as the Presidential Villa and visiting foreign dignitaries. For this reason, personnel of the DSS who are on this schedule are carefully selected and properly trained both locally and abroad. Furthermore, continued background checks are maintained on them to confirm suitability and loyalty.
“In fact, the issues raised in the aforementioned circular tend to suggest that the author may have ventured into a not-too-familiar terrain. The extant practice, the world over, is that VIP protection, which is a specialised field, is usually handled by the Secret Service, under whatever nomenclature. They usually constitute the inner core security ring around every principal. The police and the military by training and mandate, are often required to provide secondary and tertiary cordons around venues and routes.
“However, all over other security agencies including the army, the police and others have their roles to play. It is on this note that heads of all security agencies currently in the Presidential Villa and their subordinates are enjoined to key into the existing command and control structure. They are to work in harmony with each other in full and strict compliance with the demands of their statutory prescribed responsibilities."

http://tribuneonlineng.com/content/sss-allowed-back-aso-rock-after-heated-arguments

There's more to this DSS debacle than meets the eye, because how else would you explain the sudden "persona non grata" status of the DSS in Aso Rock, and the President's refusal to sack the head of the DSS or make some changes.

Now I feel double sure that the ostracising of the DSS operative is related to the news about plots to poison PMB, because I see no reason why sacking the partisan personels was not done, instead of barring the DSS from getting close to the President. My guess is that the president might allow them back after a cool off period, but then I may be wrong.

Daura President is Nigeria's nightmare.

These SSS guys are risking their lives to safeguard y'all.
why not treat them with utmost respect!

k

All this because one geriatric illiterate knows the DSS knows his links to Terrorism

speak2emmalex:
Hmm mm Daura President

I hate it when a real Dullard calls another sane man a Dullard...
You lack respect, your brain must be mixed with indomie.

E no consign me jhur

Cold war at the villa. eh?

[size=14pt]The Daura President is a very confused fellow [/size]

Okay

Morning y'all

A lot of ambitious people in this Govt
even most ambitious than their boss
na wa o

y is he always going on a u turn after making decisions. last week he ordered every military check point in the country to evacuate and later renounced it, last week he gave this dss orders to leave the inner presidential villa and today again, we are hearing another story
HE IS KINDA CONFUSED

Una try

[size=16pt] Cette pays est tres gâte. Les gens bon sont un peu, mais les gens avec mauvais caractere sont tres beaucoup. Pour ce pays d'être bon, tout le monde dans le pays devrait changer sa vie. Bonjour tout le monde. [/size]

Good

LeOstrich:
All this because one geriatric illiterate knows the DSS knows his links to Terrorism

And you are so sure about this.

Won ka bo

Ok... This better be a joke o....
it is obvious daura daullardinho is not in control. APC is running this country like the roadside mechanic that killed my first car. TRIAL and ERROR.

President orders sale of Presidential Jet.. President never ordered

President orders removal of army check point.... Reversed


President orders removal of SSS.. Reversed


President orders arrest of in law.... Reversed



Chai, we definitely need an OBD 2 mechanic president

But why Na.... open your bloody nose and smell the coffee

good morning fellow Nigerians

I smell something fishy in this harmless post. The security operatives are delaying the truth. One problem I have with Nigeria is the creation of many parastatals that have the same function. It's a mere waste of delegated authority. What would happen if only DSS or DMI guards the president?

j

Buhari and his aides are one set of confused heads I ever seen, keeping jumping front and back like a trapped monkey 2heads are not really better than one this time

LeOstrich:
All this because one geriatric illiterate knows the DSS knows his links to Terrorism

Then why didn't the DSS arrest him long before he ran for president?

Really....your comment there has made the DSS seem more incompetent.

Our intelligent Buhari still thinks he is in the military regime, where coup can happen anytime. Someone should wake hm up. DSS role is enshrined in the constitution. It is not the work of the military to closeguard the president it is the SSS.
I don't know what he is afraid of. All the people around him are his brothers, very soon only Northerners will be allowed inside Aso Villa to see him.

By the way I love that gun those men carry.

My tutorial for the week is out...Igbo ga-adiririri!

The 1st Igbo language blog is out, it is fun and insightful. Visit, comment, share and criticize.www.odeniigbo..com

All this inter-agency rivalry is not necessary. It all comes down to one question. Where is SSS director Ita Ekpeyong and spokesperson Marilyn Ogar and when will they be shipped off to www.kirikiri? That's all

bushdoc9919:


Then why didn't the DSS arrest him long before he ran for president?

no mind them abeg, everything just dey pain them. plenty people go get high BP b4 this 4yrs end.

Toh!

But that picture sha.