I felt really constrained to write this piece after reading a report of an article written by J.S Okutepa (SAN) in which the senior lawyer alleged that the State Security Service (SSS) is overstepping its boundaries and usurping Police and anti-corruption powers. The constraints was borne out of the legal weight of the personality involved. However, a tinge of common sense compelled me to make this submission on the issue thrown up by the 'learned' legal giant.

I read with chagrin a social media write-up captioned "RUMBLES IN DSS: CORRUPTION AND NEPOTISM IN NIGERIA'S SECRET SERVICE (DSS) AMIDST RETENTION OF MR YUSUF BICHI AS DIRECTOR GENERAL". The composition repletes with debased arguments exemplifying the very nature of our society in which many believe that to get to the top, you have to deploy all manner of character assassination to bring down the perceived stumbling block to your ambition.

I was not surprised when I came across a write-up by the Human Rights Writers' Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in which the body described as 'unacceptable' the sacking of all the Service Chiefs and sparing the Director-General State Services (DGSS), Yusuf Bichi, CFR by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. It didn't take me a split second to figure out that HURIWA's action was not carried out in isolation. There is a saying in the South West where I come from that, the drummers for the dancing water lilies we see on the surface of the water are actually beneath the water. Bichi should have expected this and more are certain to come. In the build-up to any general elections in Nigeria, especially when the incumbent President has served his two terms, hopes are usually high among high ranking officers in the military, the Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other para- military agencies with the possibility (usually a norm) of ascending to the highest rung of the ladder in the leadership structure. Such hopes were expected to be super high as we inched towards the last Presidential election, putting in mind the hues and cries from the general public about the perceived inefficiency of the country's security architecture, with many calling for leadership change in the military. 

As the dust raised by the 2023 general elections is beginning to settle, a mighty political wind is growing a speck of thicker dust with the potential to mar an amicable relationship between the incoming executive and leadership of the National Assembly. With the results from all, except a few, polling units declared, none of the four major political parties has a clear majority to form the leadership of the National Assembly. At the moment, about 35 House of Representative seats has not been declared because of the cancellation of results in some polling units across the federation.

Recently, the DSS in a bid to preserve democratic ethos in the country, issued a statement alerting well meaning Nigerians of perceived grand plans by subversive elements to truncate democracy. The Secret Olokpa claimed that some aggrieved politicians, unfavorably disposed to the outcome of the 25th February poll, are clandestinely contriving to truncate democracy by all means possible.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has once again resorted to cheap rhetoric in a bid to remain relevant in Nigeria’s political arena. This is without minding the tainting effect such could have on the dynamics of the current political structure.

President Muhammadu Buhari will be addressing the nation via a live broadcast by 7:00 am on Sunday the 12th of June 2022 in commemoration of the year's democracy day. The above information was contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.

Condemnations have continued to trail a report suspected to have been given out by an operative of the Department of State Services, DSS, to an online media outfit, where he allegedly framed up his senior colleague over a personal disagreement. The online media had reported that Mr. Samson Enwereuzor, who is a senior DSS operative, engages in torture to extract information from youths in the Southeast and sometimes embarks on extra-judicial killings. But the authorities of the DSS have debunked the story by the online media that the Service resorts to torture in a bid to extract information from suspects whenever an arrest is made.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has on Tuesday declared the banishment of the deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to Awe community in Nasarawa State as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional. Delivering the judgement, Justice Anwuli Chikere held that the banishment was a gross violation of Sanusi’s fundamental human rights, as the deposed Emir was moved out of Kano to Abuja and later to Awe against his wish.

On 7th October 2021, a renowned Nollywood Actor, Chiwetalu Agu was apprehended in Anambra state by the Military, adorned in IPOB/Biafra regalia. According to the Military, the iconic Nollywood figure in the entertainment industry was allegedly arrested after he was caught soliciting support for one proscribed group identified as IPOB, as well as inciting the public against the authority. It is noteworthy that the arrest is coming few days after the Military commenced an operation tagged “Golden Dawn” in the South East, following incessant attacks and killing of security operatives and innocent residents in the region. Apart from the killing of operatives, cases of armed robbery, car snatching, attacks on POS operators, raiding of markets, mounting of illegal roadblocks as well as extortion of motorists have been reported. The question now is, did the Nollywood actor commit any crime to warrant arrest? YES. In September 2017, a federal high court proscribed IPOB and declared it a terrorist organization. The declaration followed an application by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice. The following year, IPOB appealed the declaration/judgement. Fortunately or unfortunately, the appeal was not upheld. Rather the court affirmed its earlier declaration. Consequently, in the face of the law, IPOB remains a terrorist group. Some of the characteristics of terrorist organizations include coercion, targeted assassination, kidnapping, violent confrontation with government forces, violent agitation for secession, armed robbery, using the instrumentality of fear to subjugate people, and so on.

INDEPENDENCE DAY ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF NIGERIA’S SIXTY-FIRST INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY, FRIDAY 1ST OCTOBER, 2021. Citizens of Nigeria. It is with full gratitude to God that today, we celebrate Nigeria’s sixty-first Independence Anniversary. For 1st of October 1960 to happen, all hands were on deck. East, West, North all came together to celebrate freedom. Today should not only serve as a reminder of the day the British handed over the reins of power to Nigerians, but also unified Nigerians from all ethnic groups, religions and regions.

The Federal Government has approved a 14-day paternity leave for male civil servants to enable them to bond with their newborn babies. The Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOS), Mrs. Folashade Yemi-Esan announced this during a press briefing after the Federal Executive Council Meeting presided by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja.