Sacked DSS DG, Lawal Daura Is Being Investigated Over Invasion of National Assembly Complex -IGP, Ibrahim Idris

The Inspector General of the Nigerian Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris has revealed that the Nigerian Police is currently investigating the sacked Director General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), Mr. Lawal Musa Daura over Wednesday 7th August invasion of the National Assembly Complex.

This was contained in a letter addressed to the Vice President of Nigeria by Idris entitled; “Interim Investigation Report on Criminal Conspiracy To Wit Trespass, Intimidation and Unlawful Invasion of National Assembly Complex with intent likely to cause breach of public Peace.’

The letter with the reference number, CR 3000 IGP-SEC/ABJ/VOL and dated 8th August, 2018 was personally signed by the Police Inspector General.

Idris informed the Vice President in the letter that his office acted promptly to effect the arrest of Lawal Daura and other operatives of the DSS as directed by the VP and that a team of cracked operatives headed by Commissioner of Police, Garba Umar were deployed to respond immediately and take the suspects into custody for interrogation.

“It was established that on 7th August, 2018 at about 0600 hours, the then DG of the DSS, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura did conspired with his operatives wearing hood and masks and invaded the National Assembly complex.

“They barricaded the road to the National Assembly complex and were intimidating members of the National Assembly and staff by forcefully preventing them from performing their legitimate and constitutional duties thereby committing a crime with intent to incite and whip up sentiment of the National Assembly members against the Federal Government of Nigeria, which is a breach of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria hence the complaint,” the letter read.

He added further in the letter that it was established that Daura illegally used his position as the then DG of DSS with his officers to commit the crime.

The IG revealed in the letter that Daura confessed and accepted to have deployed operatives of the DSS on a claim of intelligence report that unauthorised persons were planning to smuggle undisclosed dangerous weapons and incriminating items into the National Assembly complex.

Idris added that Daura did not inform the Acting President neither did he share the information with the Nigerian Police Force or other sister security agencies.

“So many distinguished senators, honourable members and staff of the National Assembly complex suffered humiliation, intimidation and were forcefully chased out of the Assembly complex at gun point by operatives of the DSS wearing hoods and masks.

“Those, who invaded and prevented National Assembly members from entering the complex were officers of the DSS.

“The said officers of the Department of DSS were all bearing firearms and took strategic locations of the National Assembly complex to prevent access.

“The DSS personnel acted like mercenaries hired to carry out executions.

“The former DG of DSS, Mr. Musa Lawal Daura acted unilaterally without informing the presidency.

“The claim of purported intelligence report by the suspect cannot be substantiated as the personnel deployed were not EOD experts or specialist in the regard,” the letter read.

Idris then recommended that the operatives of the DSS that invaded and barricaded the National Assembly complex needed to be released to the police investigating team for questioning.

He further recommended that there is a need to search the houses and premises of all identified suspects.

According to him, “all communication gadgets such as computers, mobile phones and other electronics devices of the suspects will be thoroughly analysed.”

The IG concluded that it was crystal clear that the principal suspect, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura might be acting the script of some highly placed politicians “to achieve selfish political goals hence his unilateral decision to invade the National Assembly complex.”

He added that Daura is undergoing further interrogation at the police facility and that he is currently placed under house arrest at a private property in Birni Kebbi Close off Birni Kebbi Crescent Garki 11, Abuja awaiting further directions from the Acting President.