DSS operatives on duty
A three-man gang led by a former aide of the late president, Sani
Ababa, who tried to scam Lawan Daura, the director-general of the
Department of State Security (DSS), has been arrested.
Abdullahi Garba, an agent of the DSS, who spoke at the news
briefing when the state police paraded the suspects before journalists
at its headquarters in Abuja on Friday, said:
"The Department of State Services (DSS) wishes to draw the
attention of the public to the infamous activities of some unscrupulous
elements who have resorted to condemnable tactics aimed at blackmailing
and extorting money from unsuspecting and innocent people.
"The group uses scaremongering, social climbing and name
dropping to hoodwink their victims into parting with money to avoid such
victims’ names being tarnished. The activities of this group have
become widespread that the DSS have decided to alert law-abiding
Nigerians and residents.
"A pertinent fact that investigations have revealed is that
this group, in order to further their illegal act, is taking advantage
of the clear and sustained anti-corruption war being waged by this
administration.
"A method used by the group is to tell lies against their
victims and also plant rumours about them in certain government circles
so as to create the impression that the targets are corrupt and have
breached legal procedures in the discharge of their responsibilities."
According to Garba, the aim is usually to make these targets seek
their attention and invariably sort out with them based on negotiated
sums of money or they would threaten to report the matter to the
president.
"A typical instance is the arrest of the trio of Usman Ahmed
Danmallam and Nura Shehu Lawal Giwa (aka Marafan Zazzau) on 17th
February, 2016 at Unguwar Sarki, Kaduna north LGA of Kaduna state and
Hussaini A Monguno (aka Colonel) in Abuja.
"This three-man gang had perfected plans to blackmail the DGSS
solely based on falsehood. The group claimed that the DGSS collected the
sum of N4 billion from the PDP governors of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Abia and
Taraba states to influence the judgment of the supreme court in their
favour in the recently decided electoral cases by the court.
"They were also to misinform the president and in fact, the
Nigerian public that the DGSS had acquired choice properties in Maitama
and Asokoro areas of Abuja. The overall objective was to scare the DGSS
and put him under pressure just for the group to extort money from him
to serve their pecuniary interest.
"To state the obvious truth, the DGSS couldn’t have approached
the justices to accomplish the said feat attributed to him because his
office doesn’t work in that manner. Again, the DG couldn’t have helped
the same PDP Governors who daily accuse him even in the press of not
supporting them. All these therefore give a lie to the accusations of
this band of mischief makers.
"It may further interest the public to know the actual
personalities of this gang. Moguno hails from Yerwa village of Monguno
LGA of Borno State. He claims to be a security expert and goes by the
military title of Colonel. It is regrettable to reveal that Monguno
never served in the Nigerian army. Rather, he averred that he was hired
as a ‘civilian body guard’ shortly after his stint with the defunct
National Guard.
"He said he was recruited and trained as a body guard towards
the end of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd)
regime, but served the late General Sani Abacha (rtd) who addressed him
as Colonel. He also disclosed that he received training on close-body
security in Libya and Nigeria. It is not yet known the nature of
assignments he undertook for the various regimes he claimed to have
served.
"Danmallam who hails from Matazu LGA of Katsina state admitted
like the other two members of his group, to the crime but claimed that
the smear campaign was initiated by Giwa who came up with the various
allegations. He also revealed that he co-opted Monguno into their plans
based on his self-confessed expertise in national security as well as
alleged connection with high profile personalities including Mr
President.
"Giwa hails from Zaria and claims to be the Marafan Zazzau, a
traditional title of the respected emirate. He is the initiator of this
plot. He is yet to disclose his main motive for initiating this
dangerous plot other than his penchant for name dropping and propensity
to extort money from people. Meanwhile, the trio have confessed that the
whole allegation against the DG is baseless and only a scam meant to
serve their purpose."
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