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A cold war is currently brewing among
sister security agencies ahead of the relocation of President Muhammadu Buhari
to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, The Punch has learnt.
Since
their inauguration on May 29, Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have yet
to relocate to the State House, because renovation works going on in their
official residences had not been completed.
While
the President currently operates from Defence House, the official residence of
the President-elect, Osinbajo is said to be residing in a private residence.
The Punch reports:
Ahead
of their relocation, however, our correspondent learnt that there is currently
an ongoing inter-agency row on who will be in charge of the President’s
security.
More
prominent, it was learnt, is the cold war between the Nigerian Army and the
Department of State Services.
A
Presidency source who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the
issue told our correspondent that one of the close aides of the President who
is a retired military officer had written to the Nigerian Army, the DSS and the
Nigeria Police to send a particular number of their men to be saddled with the
responsibility of securing the State House.
He
said the head of one of the security agencies had refused to take action on the
directive because the author of the letter had not been given any formal
responsibility by the President.
The
official added that trouble started over the weekend when some officials of the
Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps were driven into the State House with the
instruction that they be deployed in strategic positions, including the
President’s office and residence.
He
added that the DSS officials on duty at the time denied them access into the
State House until when a directive came that they should be allowed in.
The
officials of NAIC were said to have taken over from the DSS officials.
The
official said, “The NAIC officials were first driven into the Villa in a
Coastal bus on Saturday, but they were turned back by officials of the DSS.
“After
a series of meetings, we were later told that we should allow them in. So they
came in on Sunday while some others joined them on Monday.
“Naturally,
it is DSS officials that are always in charge of the President’s inner security.
But with this development, it seems they want to change the tradition and use
the NAIC guys.
“The
talk among operatives is that the development might be political considering
the roles the DSS played in the build up to the 2015 general elections.”
Another
source told our correspondent that DSS officials attached to the State House
are also currently at loggerheads with officials of a private security outfit.
The
security outfit is said to be owned by a retired DSS official who is also close
to the President.
Security
guards from the firm were said to have been working with Buhari long before he
became the President.
The
source told our correspondent on Monday that shortly after DSS officials
arrived at the National Mosque, Abuja on Friday to cordon off the place ahead
of Buhari’s arrival for the Jumat service, about 30 officials of the security
firm also arrived.
They
were said to have claimed that they were under instructions to take possession
of the mosque’s premises, a step that was resisted by the DSS officials who
insisted that the responsibility to secure the place for the Commander-in-Chief
was solely theirs.
“After
a lot of arguments, the officials of the security outfit agreed to leave the
premises for the DSS officials as they were asked to go and stand outside the
premises.
“That
was the second time that the scenario played out in the mosque. On May 29
shortly after the President’s inauguration, that was the same way men of that
firm showed up at the same mosque where the C-in-C worshipped,” the source
added.
The
DSS Deputy Director, Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, said she had no
information in the rivalry between the service personnel and soldiers.
“Nothing
of such has been brought to my knowledge please,” she said in a text message.
The
Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, did not respond to
calls to his phone.
He
also did not respond to a text message asking him to clarify which security
agency was in charge of the Presidential Villa security.
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