Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday met with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) boss, Ibrahim Magu, and the new acting Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mattew Seiyefa.

The meeting comes hours after the acting president directed the termination of the appointment of the former DSS DG, Lawal Musa Daura with immediate effect.

Subsequently, Daura was asked to hand over to the most senior officer of the agency until further notice.


DSS officials had stormed the premises in the early hours of Tuesday, barricading the entrance and preventing the lawmakers from entering.

Journalists were also barred from entering the complex with the DSS officials claiming that the blockage was an order “from above.”

The lawmakers alleged that the move by the security officials was an attempt to aid the impeachment of Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

The news of the sack of Malam Lawan Daura, Director General of the Department of State Services, came like a flash. But it was real. The man who presided over the nation’s spy agency was relieved of his appointment by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo Tuesday.

Though no official reason was given for his sack, a statement later by Acting President Osinbajo condemning what he called “The Takeover of the National Assembly”, showed the nexus between the invasion of the parliament by the DSS operatives on Tuesday morning and Daura’s sack.


Coming two days after he turned 65, Daura’s sack brings to an end a tenure marked by controversies and criticisms.

Below are some of the highlights of his tenure:


1) Invasion of Judges’ Homes

In October 2016, the nation was alarmed by the news of the invasion of the homes of judges, including those of justices of the Supreme Court – the highest court in the land – by operatives of the DSS. The invasion carried out in Gestapo style was vehemently criticised by the opposition and many Nigerian’s who saw it as a desecration of the officers of the temple of justice and a prelude to massive clampdown on the opposition. Following public outcry, the judges were released on administrative bail, but for several months, no charges were filed against them. Some of the judges who were later arraigned on charges of corruption and money laundering were discharged and acquitted by the court.

2) Invasion of Benue House of Assembly

Following the defection of the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, to the Peoples Democratic Party from the All Progressives Congress, and the impeachment of the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange, by 22 of the 30 members of the Assembly, operatives of the DSS were deployed in the Assembly to aid the minority eight lawmakers who attempted to reconvene the House for the purpose of impeaching Governor Ortom.

On the day the eight lawmakers reconvened, the 22 lawmakers who were clearly the majority were prevented by DSS operatives from entering the Assembly premises. The eight lawmakers later served a notice of impeachment on the governor and sent a letter to the Chief Judge of the State to set up an impeachment panel.

The actions of the eight lawmakers and the support of the DSS were strongly criticised by Nigerians across political divides. The presidency had to issue a statement dissociating President Muhammdu Buhari from the DSS action.

3) Disobedience to Court Orders

A major highlight of the DSS under Daura’s watch was the wanton disregard for court orders. For three years, the DSS carried on as if the agency was above the law. It chose which court order to obey or disobey. The indefinite detention of the former National Security Adviser, Ibrahim Sambo, and leader of Shiite in Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, are two of the examples of DSS’ disregard for court orders. The duo had been in DSS detention for over two years and there had been several judicial pronouncements granting them bail. None of those court orders were obeyed by the DSS under Daura’s watch.

4) Opposing President’s Request


Perhaps the most controversial action of the sacked DSS DG was the letters he wrote to the National Assembly opposing the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for the confirmation of EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu. His letters exposed the rivalry among leaders of critical state agencies. Based on his security report, the Senate refused to confirm Magu as substantive EFCC boss.

5) Siege to the National Assembly

On Tuesday August 7, 2018, DSS’ impunity under Daura reached its climax with the siege to the National Assembly – the nation’s highest lawmaking body – apparently in an attempt to assist lawmakers plotting to impeach Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Lawmakers, National Assembly staff and journalists were prevented from entering the premises. A day earlier, the National Assembly, which is currently on recess, had announced that a meeting of its leadership would hold at the complex to discuss election budget. The National Assembly leadership was also billed to meet with the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission on the same day. But DSS operatives were deployed early in the morning to prevent lawmakers from entering the premises.

Following condemnation of their action, the DSS operatives later allowed lawmakers to enter the premises but staff of the National Assembly were disallowed. While the DSS operatives were at the National Assembly, there were reports that the leaders of the ruling APC were meeting with pro-executive senators and collecting signatures for the removal of the Senate President. The actions of the DSS consequently portrayed the agency as partisan and working for the ruling party to weaken opposition in the parliament.

The Enforcer Meets His Waterloo

In a twist of events, Daura’s tenure came to an abrupt end Tuesday with the announcement of his sack by Acting President Osinbajo, who in another statement condemned the invasion of the National Assembly.

The two-paragraph statement announcing his sack read: The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has directed the termination of the appointment of the Director General, Sate Security Service, Lawal Musa Daura, with immediate effect.

“Mr. Daura has been directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the state security Service until further notice.”

Lawal Musa Daura – A Brief Profile

Born in Daura on August 5, 1953, the sacked DSS DG attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1977 – 1980. He began his career in the Department of State Services in 1982 and rose to the rank of director.

Between 2003 and 2007, Daura was Deputy Director, Presidential Communication, Command and Control Centre, at the Presidential Villa Abuja. He was also state director at various times in Kano, Sokoto, Edo, Lagos, Osun and Imo States.

Daura attended various professional courses both at home and abroad including the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.

vedaxcool:
[s][/s]

Some people suffer congenital abnormalities that prevents them from reasoning. Common sense should have easily told you that the DSS guy is coordinating with Saraki for his own selfish reasons or as part of wider conspiracy against PMB just as the other slowpoke. Sambo looted money meant for arms to support GEJ releection under GEJ directives. The law doesn't allow the president to order you to commit crimes yet Sambo for his selfish reasons did so.

Even your neighbor can summon DSS if he has the right connections, pretending not to know this only means one is extremely dull to be considered an adult. QED

intruxive:

Jesus allowed himself to be sold and killed, was he weak?

intruxive:

He doesnt want to appear as interfering with other peoples job, so they formed a government inside his government

9jatriot:

Ordinarily, when the DSS lays siege to a place the most conspicuous place to direct your suspicion will be the presidency, since the DSS just like other organs of our security are under the office of the president.

But when one looks at the recently acquired skills by our politicians where they have now perfected the act of writing scripts, directing such scripts and even acting in the movies, one can no longer just accept any news no matter how real on face value. In a camp that comprises of Dino who recently beat fictitious assassins and hid in the bush, or Fayose who got a broken neck from tear gas or Metuh who now sleeps on a stretcher anytime he has an appointment in court, one can always expect blockbuster movies well orchestrated, that, where they not real life situation could have contended for the Oscars.

I am suspicious that Saraki has always been working with the head of DSS and planned the events of today as well as the event of last Tuesday where Saraki claimed that the DSS blocked his house to prevent him from going to the Senate.

Before we put the NASS invasion in perspective, let us go back a few days ago, where the Senate president told the world that the DSS set out to prevent him from getting out of his house, that being the smartest man in the country, he was able to outsmart the highest intelligence agency in the country, The police authority went on to say they knew nothing about it, the presidency also said they had nothing to do with it. Once again, it would have been easier to believe Saraki over the police, who over the years have shown a high penchant for lying, but the image of Saraki hiding in a car booth in a bid to win Senate presidency never leaves my mind. Although one can consider it a smart move, it also shows his level of desperation and how low a person of his standing can go to get what he wants.

It is on this premise that one has to take a back seat and anaylyze the events of today critically.

First, the siege agent Saraki's house did not make sense considering he had just met with the president a night before. The truth is, SAraki had made up his mind to defect and needed to do it fast, He must have connived with his accomplice, the head of DSS, to lay that siege which up till now, no concrete evidence exists to show that it really happened.

The so-called NASS invasion of 7th August, looks like a script. First it was first reported by, wait for it -PDP Senators. They claimed that they could not access the Senate building and that only APC senators were allowed to enter.

With Act 1 scene 1, well acted and the video broadcast to the world. It was time for scene 2.

In this scene, the PDP Senators somehow found their way through the body of DSS into the Senate building, we were not told if they shot their way through, and had to kill all the DSS blocking them. They just found their way inside.

Just like in the movies, we were simply shown the next scene of the only the PDP senators inside the senate house. The APC Senators, we were told were the only ones allowed to enter suddenly disappeared, I mean vanished. None of them was sighted either inside the Senate building or outside it.

The pictures we saw was of a Senate in recess occupied only by PDP senators.

Next, having established some level of credibility, it was time for verbal storytelling.

In this next scene, we were simply told that the APC Senators were now meeting at Sheraton Hotels and Towers to impeach the Senate president. This time there was no need for evidence or perhaps there was no evidence.
Take note: The reported meeting at Sheraton came via tweet from PDP members and no one else. No shred of evidence or independent endorsement, only the PDP people knew of such meeting.

Why Daura is a suspect in all of these.

If one recalls, when Senate wanted to ensure that Magun was not approved as the head of EFCC, they had to rely on a report from Daura. He may simply have been working all these while with Saraki. Only God knows how much damage that man has done. I hope he is tried for treason.

The VP has done a great act in removing such elements who abuse their office and derail democracy. That singular act by the VP has once again taken the sail from the wind of PDP who wanted to use this to get some mileage in their political fortunes.

The next person to be kicked out should be the AGF.

intruxive:

He is not slow, he is trying to remain honest and democratic. But nigeria is not ripe for that, everyone is for sale and saraki knows their price, his father thought him well.
Same way his father bought the soul of kwara

dignity33:
AND SARAKI WAS ALSO USING AG TO CHARGE THEM TO COURT. GET BRAIN AND STOP BUYING BMC NEWS BECAUSE THEY HAVE FAILED WOEFULL.

midolian:
This is my reason for stating earlier that Buhari is slow to act on issues and the corrupt ones are taking advantage of this weakness of his.

midolian:
Man, this is no coup. This is worse than a typical Nigerian english film

midolian:
It was all in a bid to tarnish the image of the government.

I must state clearly here that one thing i hate about Buhari is that he is too soft with some of these people

midolian:
Daura must have been confirmed to be working for Saraki to tarnish the image of the Buhari led administration, hence his sack.

Like me, if you wondered why Saraki and the PDP's allegation/prediction on plans to impeach Saraki this day, even though dumb, came to pass, the reason is as in the title.

Was wondering why the PDP would allege there are plans to impeach Saraki even though it is clear to even the common man on the street that to make this happen, the APC needs 2/3 of the house which looks impossible at the moment. Little did I know Daura and the PDP were cooking something for their misguided supporters to cry over...

I mean, if you look at this critically well, you ll see absolutely no sense in what happened this morning. it was baseless

The same Federal government that has been begging the Senate on behalf of Nigerians to resume plenary cannot be the same Federal government that will give such order.

Well, Saraki got this script written well and Daura got it acted perfectly. But time will reveal more..

Daura is a disgrace!

lalasticlala

midolian:
Deji is a fool..

The way he, the defectors and his lazy misguided lots from the oza side(called pigs in some quarters) will cry after 2019 elections will be super cool and entertaining to see.

2019 will be a year full of surprises and disappointment

NgeneUkwenu:
Ok

NgeneUkwenu:
�