2nd September, 2016
To:
The Director – General,
Department of State Security Service, (DSS)
Aso Drive, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Attention: Col. Lawal Musa Daura (Rtd).
Re: Senator Buruji Kasamu’s Private Army
Re: Unwholesome Deployment of Heavily-armed Private Security Guards,
Potential Build up of Private Army and Threat to Nationality Security.
Preamble
- We write with the intention to intimate your office of what we perceive as a potential threat to the security of the nation, safety of other citizens and to call on your department to take the necessary steps to avoid what may eventually become a security breach and an embarrassment to the nation and the security network in the nearest future.
- Kindly note sir, that our observation was informed by our understanding that Security all over the world is more about the “total absence of threats” and definitely not in all the physical security architecture we often put in place. It is a state of psychological sense of safety essentially involving Intelligence gathering.
- Drawing from information on global best practices in security corridors, we know Very Important Personalities (VIPs) are considered to be those who, whenever they come to any harm, have the potential of affecting not only them and immediate members of their family, but can threaten the security of the state and a large number of people in the society.
- These people, to our understanding are the people qualified for Protective Details of Security agencies. And they come under different categories of Public Officers.
- It is in the light of the above, and based on our understanding, and having conducted extensive research in relation to the above subject matter, that we are writing this petition to your good office and to call your attention to the potential threat posed to state security, of having a personality like Senator Buruji Kasamu have unfettered access to protective details at the State’s expense, and uncontrolled allowance/permission to use heavily armed Private security operatives.
- We need to draw the attention of your esteemed office to the threats contained in this. Apart from the research conducted by us, only few members of the public are aware that most of the men attached to the Senator are private guards. More often than not they are mistaken as men and officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) by the unsuspecting publics, especially because they are dressed in black suits, T-shirts like operatives of your department and sometimes carrying arms. In the event of any security breach or laxity, the department will have a lot of explaining to do (on its image) to convince the public about their identity.
- Our study also reveals that in most cases, places and several instances where insecurity, militancy and armed violence snowball into national crises, there had been a period of deliberate nonchalance, laxity and sometimes complicity by those who are charged with the security of the society. The dreaded Boko Haram sect is an immediate case study. Members of the sect had at a point been employed as private Security aides and details of some top politicians, government functionaries including governors in Borno State before they became uncontrollable. God forbid a repeat situation in any other parts of the federation.
- Senator Buruji Kasamu goes about with over fifty (50) private security guards and all are heavily armed. Sir, we can then imagine what a scene it will look like in a society where we have all the 109 Senators in the Upper legislative chamber each employing the services of approximately 50 private Security details; each of the 360 members of the House of Representatives; all commissioners in the services of each of the 36 states; all past governors; former Senators and members of House of Representatives etc and all of them treating themselves to this luxury of liberty and freedom that is being accorded Senator Buruji Kasamu.
- One can also imagine a situation where a private citizen have the capacity to hold down the security system and operatives of an entire nation for weeks or even withstand a siege for months in the case of any crime for which he is declared wanted. There are several examples in this regard. The first time a ranking government official was killed in the United States of America was at the Church of Heaven’s Gate of the Reverend Jim Jones in Guyana. The case of notorious Mexican drug lord, Guzman El Chapo who recently broke jail in spite of all state security apparatuses is also fresh in the memory. He was able to achieve this feat because of the retinue of personal extra security at his disposal.
- We are not persuaded by reasons of logic and security that Senator Kasamu enjoys more privileged status than his colleagues in the Senate and other eminent citizens of our country.
- We therefore call on your good office to urgently intervene to arrest this real, actual and potential threats to the security of the Nigerian state and the good citizens of the country.
- Kindly find attached for your perusal.
Sincerely yours,
Gbenga Soloki
Secretary.
Cc:
- His Excellency, President Mohammadu Buhari,
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Aso Rock Villa Abuja, Nigeria
- National Security Adviser,
The Presidency Aso Villa, Abuja.
3.The Inspector-General of Police
Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House Abuja, Nigeria.
- Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 2,
Nigerian Police Force,
Onikan, Lagos, Nigeria.
- The Commissioner of Police,
Ogun State Police Command,
Eleweran Abeokuta OgunState.
- Senator Ibikunle Amosun,FCA,CON,
The Executive Governor of Ogun State
Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta,
Ogun State.
- State Director,
Department of State Security, OgunState
Oke-Mosan Abeokuta, Ogun State.
- Ambassador to Nigeria
Embassy of the United States of America
Plot 1075, Diplomatic Drive Central District Area, Abuja.
9.The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria
3A, Bobo Street Off Gana Street, Maitama,
FCT Abuja.
