Security: SSS, DMI Exchange Blows At The Villa

There was pandemonium at the presidential villa yesterday as men of the Department of State Security (DSS) and Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), exchanged blows, after DMI agents denied officers of the DSS entrance into their offices within the villa.

DSS officials

It is observed that there is a comprehensive scrutiny of personnel in and around the vicinity which began yesterday. It would be recalled that the DSS were relieved of their duties within the villa and restricted to the corridors of the environment.

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In a related development, a directive signed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s Aide-De-Camp’ , Lt.-Col. Lawal Abubakar, stated that the exercise was essential for ‘accountability and deployment’. The memo was titled “Request for strength returns of security personnel/forces deployed within the Presidential Villa, Abuja.”

The memo reads, “The need for proper accountability by all security forces/personnel deployed within the Presidential Villa cannot be over-emphasized.

“This has made it imperative to collate an updated nominal roll for all security forces/personnel deployed within the Presidential Villa performing physical security duties for proper accountability and deployment.

“Based on this, and in the spirit of enhancing general security within the Presidential Villa, you are requested to submit a comprehensive nominal roll of security personnel/security forces in your department/offices to office of the ADC for further necessary action.” 

The Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the president, Abdulrahman Mani, through a memo, ordered his men back to their posts.

The CSO said: “Though further actions have been initiated in this regard, including routine redeployment of close body guards out of the villa, and deployment of new ones, it is important to state that the duties hitherto performed by the personnel of the DSS (SSS) in the Presidential Villa and/or any other Key Vulnerable Points (KVPs) are backed by relevant Statutes and Gazetted Instruments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Among others, these roles include close body protection of the President in line with standard operational procedures and international best practices.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 2 (1) (ii) of Instrument No. SSS 1 of 23rd May, 1999, made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies (NSA) decree of 1986 which has been re-enacted as Section 6 of NSA Act CAP N74 LFN 2004, empowers personnel of the DSS to provide protective security for designated principal government functionaries including, but not limited to the President and Vice President as well as members of their immediate families.

“It also mandates the DSS to provide protective security for sensitive installations such as the Presidential Villa and visiting foreign dignitaries. For this reason, personnel of the DSS who are on this schedule are carefully selected and properly trained both locally and abroad. Furthermore, continued background checks are maintained on them to confirm suitability and loyalty.

“In fact, the issues raised in the aforementioned circular tend to suggest that the author may have ventured into a not-too-familiar terrain. The extant practice, the world over, is that VIP protection, which is a specialised field, is usually handled by the Secret Service, under whatever nomenclature.

“They usually constitute the inner core security ring around every principal. The police and the military by training and mandate, are often required to provide secondary and tertiary cordons around venues and routes.

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“However, all over other security agencies including the army, the police and others have their roles to play. It is on this note that heads of all security agencies currently in the Presidential Villa and their subordinates are enjoined to key into the existing command and control structure.

“They are to work in harmony with each other in full and strict compliance with the demands of their statutory prescribed responsibilities.”

It was learnt that the news of the encounter reached the Aide de Camp (ADC) to the President, Lt. Col. Mohammed Abubakar, who then came to resolve the differences between men of the two agencies and subsequently allowed in the DSS personnel.

Abubakar explained that the DSS would be assigned other duties within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa alongside other security forces. 

However, the tussle to control the presidential villa to protect President  Buhari is now settled. The DSS operatives and the DMI have returned to their respective offices.

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