Revealed! SSS D-G reduced security details of Saraki, Dogara, over contingency allocation- Report

A jarring dispute over contingency security allocations led to an abrupt withdrawal of dozens of personal security guards attached to the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the Speaker Federal House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

The State Security Service (SSS) implemented about 65 per cent draw down across board in security protection for the top lawmakers on Saturday, sparking a nationwide uproar, according to Premium Times.

The withdrawal of security details of Saraki, Dogara, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun.

Following an urgent security meeting with Vice President Osinbajo on Monday and political pressure from the so-called new PDP bloc of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the secret police on Tuesday partially returned some of the withdrawn officers to Messrs Saraki and Dogara, according to security sources. It was unclear if Messrs Ekweremadu and Lasun had seen a partial or full restoration of the personnel withdrawn from them.

The disagreement stemmed from the National Assembly’s rejection of a presidential approval issued to the State Security Service for the inclusion of “some handsome billions of Naira” into the 2018 budget, according to legislative sources familiar with the matter.

The botched SSS allocation, similar to similar ‘security allowances’ approved to other agencies like the police and the military, was rejected because the Director General of DSS, Lawal Daura, failed to defend the expenditure when he appeared before a Senate committee vetting the proposed security earmarks, multiple sources familiar with the episode told Premium Times.

“Rather than answer critical questions and make a strong case to justify his allocation, like the army and the Police Service Commission did, he merely assumed that the presidential approval he brought to the National Assembly was all that was needed — he even tried to intimidate lawmakers by suggesting that their oversight functions were often laden with corrupt instincts,” a source said.

But rather than see the rejection of the SSS request as a direct consequence of his conduct, Daura decided on a retaliatory measure against the presiding officers, striking first with the drawdown of their security guards.

Around two-thirds of the 84 SSS personnel attached to the presiding officers of the National Assembly were withdrawn without prior notice on Saturday.

In the exercise, which a source claimed was “sudden” and “far-reaching”, Saraki’s security detail was reduced to nine from 23. Dogara’s personnel were also reduced to nine from 23.With the duo receiving five more personnel, each now has 14 officers as at Tuesday night.

Ekweremadu and Lasun saw reductions in their detail from 19 to six each on Saturday, including their drivers, it was gathered.

Spokesperson for Ekweremadu, Uche Anichukwu, confirmed partial withdrawal of officers attached to his principal but said he was unsure of the statistics.

Aides to three other parliamentary leaders declined comments to PREMIUM TIMES about the development. The SSS could not be reached for comments; the agency has no known spokesperson since September 2015.

The partial restoration came a day after Vice President; Prof Yemi Osinbajo met with Saraki, Daura, Attorney-General Abubakar Malami and Inspector-General Ibrahim Idris in an emergency meeting whose details were not disclosed to the media.

Fears that the recurrent clashes between the executive and the legislature may escalate gripped the nation on Sunday after The Cable reported that the security aides of some principal officers had been reduced. The paper said the directive might have come from the presidency, but did not say Ekweremadu and Lasun were affected, or indicate the actual number of personnel attached to each of the officers prior to and after withdrawal.

It could not be confirmed whether or not external authorities influenced the directive, but multiple sources hinted that it was largely about Mr Daura’s personal grievances against lawmakers.