‘I was Never Invited by Committee on Arm Purchase’ – Dasuki ‘You are not telling the truth’ – DSS
The immediate National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki retired has denied ever receiving any invitation letter to appear before a Committee set up by the current administration to investigate procurement processes relating to any arms transaction by the last administration, under which he served. But in a swift reaction, the Department of State Security Service (DSS) has said Dasuki is not telling the truth.
Responding to a statement of Department of State Services (DSS), who laid y siege on his residence on the day he was supposed to travel abroad for medical treatment, Dasuki said that it was strange that a committee purported to be operating from the Office of the National Security Adviser could have transferred its mandates to DSS.
Dasuki was first arrested by the SSS in July after a prolonged siege on his Abuja residence. He was charged to court with illegal possession of arms and money laundering. Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court last Tuesday granted Mr. Dasuki’s request for his passport to be released, to enable him receive treatment abroad.
His attempt to travel on Wednesday and Thursday for the medical treatment was thwarted by operative of secret service.
But countering Dasuki’s claim, in a statement signed by Tony Opuiyo on behalf of the DSS, it said to say the least, the claim by the former NSA “is not only unfounded and malicious but aimed at tarnishing the good image of the Service”.
The statement read in part; “it may be recalled that SAMBO was initially arrested and charged to court for unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering, for which reason his international passport was seized and on the order of the court, returned to the registrar for custody. What has however brought the seeming standoff between SAMBO and the Service, despite the court-ordered release of his international passport on 4th November, 2015, is his refusal to appear before a Committee undertaking the investigation of an entirely different case.
“The public may wish to note that the government set up the Committee to investigate procurement processes relating to a two billion dollar ($2billion) arms transaction by the last administration, under which SAMBO was the NSA. It was on this premise that he was invited by the Committee to shed more light on his involvement in the deal. It, therefore, remains surprising and shocking that SAMBO has refused to honour invitations of the Committee but instead resorts to grandstanding and subtle blackmail of the Service. His refusal to appear before the Committee has left the Service with no option than to adopt legal means to ensure his attendance.
“Therefore, without doubt, SAMBO is pulling all strings available to him to evade justice and put the Service in bad light. The simple fact is that the DSS is not persecuting him. Nigerians are therefore enjoined to disregard the impression being created by him. This Service wishes to re-emphasize its commitment to the rule of law and strict adherence to democratic ideals. However, any person or group, no matter how highly placed, that may wish to test the will of the present democratic dispensation, will definitely be checked through the legal provisions of the law.”
