What could have been a serious diplomatic row between Denmark and Nigeria was averted Tuesday when an operative of Nigeria’s Secret Police, the Department of State Security Services (also called DSS or SSS) accidentally discharged his weapon in the presence of the visiting Danish Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Kristian Jensen.

Jensen is currently on a working visit to Nigeria, was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 to meet with Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. While Jensen and his entourage were passing through security clearance, a DSS official discharged his weapon.

“Immediately, there was panic and the security detail of the visiting Danish foreign minister whisked him into the toilet for safety,” a security source told The Trent.

“It was discovered that the weapon was discharged accidentally. It was a big relief for all of us present. Nigeria, certainly, missed a bullet with that one,” our source, who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity said.

The meeting with the Vice President later held after the matter was cleared up. Jensen led a Danish delegation to Aso Rock. The delegation included the Danish Ambassador and businessmen from Denmark.

“This is what you get when you replace highly trained DSS operatives with soldiers,” a security source familiar with the situation told The Trent that the shot was fired in the direction of the visiting foreign minister and it was fired by a soldier who had been assigned to the Presidential Villa.

“When the new president came he ordered that DSS operatives at the Villa [Aso Rock] be replaced with soldiers. This directive, led to disagreements between the President’s security detail and the DSS, there was a whole lot of back and forth and some officers were fired from the service because of it,” the source who pleaded anonymity told our report.

“DSS operatives who are assigned to protect the President are highly trained and in the history of the service, this kind of embarrassment has never happened,” our source said.

A top diplomat who confirmed this incident to The Trent said that first thing that came to his mind was the religious riots that rocked Nigeria in 2005 following publication of editorial cartoons that depicted the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark.

Violent protests broke out in Northern Nigeria following the publication of the cartoons by a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten. Sixteen Christian were killed in Maiduguri, Borno State, churches were torched and businesses belonging to Christians were looted and burnt down by Muslim rioters.

The Danish government defended the rights of the newspaper to free speech after violent protests broke out around the world over the cartoons. “The freedom of expression has a wide scope and the Danish government has no means of influencing the press,” the Danish prime minister at the time, Anders Fogh Rasmussen wrote in response to a letter from twelve foreign ambassadors. Rasmussen later described the episode as “Denmark’s worst international relations incident since the Second World War”.

“I thought, ‘O, my God’, I hope some sleeper terrorist has not infiltrated Aso Rock and targeted the Danish foreign leader,” the diplomat who said he was not authorised to speak on the matter and as such did not wish to be named, told our reporter. “Thankfully, the minister was not harmed. Had it been otherwise, who would have believed it was an accidental discharge?”

Mr. Jensen, 44, is in Nigeria to inaugurate the new office of the Denmark Consulate-General in Lagos and and trade mission. At the ceremony on Monday in Lagos, he announced his government’s renewed commitment to strengthen strategic areas of cooperation with Nigeria “which would strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries in the years ahead”.


At the event yesterday, Denmark’s ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Torben Gettermann disclosed that the visit of the minister and Denmark’s business delegation to Nigeria was aimed at growing Danish business interests in Nigeria. He also disclosed that Danish companies had indicated interest in doing business in Nigeria.

“We know that Nigeria is a central political player in Africa.” Jensen, who is a member of the Danish Parliament said. “Denmark will, therefore, be working with Nigeria in ensuring regional stability, end conflicts, improve maritime security and counter violent extremism.”

Our request for comment on this incident to the spokesman for the DSS, Steve Okey and the spokesman for the Vice President, Laolu Akande were not replied at the time of going to press.

Update

Denmark’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Kristian Jensen has commended The Trent for our story on this incident and confirmed that indeed an accidental shot was fired in Aso Rock as reported by us. He also confirmed that the trade meeting with the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo held after the incident.

Jensen made this confirmation using micro-blogging website, Twitter where he wrote in Danish, “God historie, men faktisk et ret uskadeligt vådeskud….. Gode møder og erhvervssamarbejde #dkpol #dkbiz.” Translated to English, “Good story, but actually a pretty harmless accidental shot.. … Good meetings and business collaboration #dkpol #dkbiz.”



The Nigerian government is still yet to commented on this incident.

HungerBAD:
This Story is very troubling.

Troubling in many facets. Although the Story itself is confusing with the beginning saying a DSS member fired the Weapon, but the bottom of the story now reverted to the shot being fired by a Soldier.

That said.

A shot was fired and in front of a visiting Diplomat, who coincidentally comes from a Country where an "Unofficial Fatwa" has been issued to all of the Country's top official, by the Taliban for the Mohammed Cartoon, even makes it suspicious.

How does pointing a gun face front and shooting makes it accidental? how do you even accidentally discharge a weapon? i have several weapons that i keep both at home, on my person and even in my cars, and it always amuses me when i hear people use that word "ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE" as an excuse for killing someone. Especially if that shooter is trained on how to handle weapons.

You don't "ACCIDENTLY" kill people, as every weapon needs the tip of the finger to pull the "TRIGGER".

This shooting is very suspicious, and the shooter had other motives for the shooting. Thank God the Diplomat was not killed, as the blame would have been pushed straight to Buhari by mischief makers, who would have called him a Muslim Fanatic that ordered the diplomat to be killed.

But even at that, this is very troubling.

HungerBAD:
This Story is very troubling.

Troubling in many facets. Although the Story itself is confusing with the beginning saying a DSS member fired the Weapon, but the bottom of the story now reverted to the shot being fired by a Soldier.

That said.

A shot was fired and in front of a visiting Diplomat, who coincidentally comes from a Country where an "Unofficial Fatwa" has been issued to all of the Country's top official, by the Taliban for the Mohammed Cartoon, even makes it suspicious.

How does pointing a gun face front and shooting makes it accidental? how do you even accidentally discharge a weapon? and it always amuses me when i hear people use that word "ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE" as an excuse for killing someone. Especially if that shooter is trained on how to handle weapons.

You don't "ACCIDENTLY" kill people, as every weapon needs the tip of the finger to pull the "TRIGGER".

This shooting is very suspicious, and the shooter had other motives for the shooting. Thank God the Diplomat was not killed, as the blame would have been pushed straight to Buhari by mischief makers, who would have called him a Muslim Fanatic that ordered the diplomat to be killed.

But even at that, this is very troubling.

SegunAdewole:


This proves that Presidiot mumuhamido Bokohhari has not just zombies as followers but also islamic fanatics. They must continue to shoot Christian Biafrans and foreign diplomats. It will help to ensure that nobody sells guns to the zombies in future.

EgunMogaji:


I have never seen a gun in the hand of a Nigerian with the safety on.

PentiumPro:
[s]The Trent online ?
PDP owned online news medium [/s]

talktimi:
use what's left of your sense

Siberia101:
Looks like a bedtime story

Next

HungerBAD:
This Story is very troubling.

Troubling in many facets. Although the Story itself is confusing with the beginning saying a DSS member fired the Weapon, but the bottom of the story now reverted to the shot being fired by a Soldier.

That said.

A shot was fired and in front of a visiting Diplomat, who coincidentally comes from a Country where an "Unofficial Fatwa" has been issued to all of the Country's top official, by the Taliban for the Mohammed Cartoon, even makes it suspicious.

How does pointing a gun face front and shooting makes it accidental? how do you even accidentally discharge a weapon? and it always amuses me when i hear people use that word "ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE" as an excuse for killing someone. Especially if that shooter is trained on how to handle weapons.

You don't "ACCIDENTLY" kill people, as every weapon needs the tip of the finger to pull the "TRIGGER".

This shooting is very suspicious, and the shooter had other motives for the shooting. Thank God the Diplomat was not killed, as the blame would have been pushed straight to Buhari by mischief makers, who would have called him a Muslim Fanatic that ordered the diplomat to be killed.

But even at that, this is very troubling.

PentiumPro:
The Trent online ?
PDP owned online news medium