Ex-NSA Dasuki Was Planning A Treasonable Felony – SSS

A new twist has emerged in the saga between ex-NSA to former president Goodluck Jonathan, Col Sambo Dasuki and the the Department of State Service (DSS), following claims by DSS that the siege to his houses followed alleged attempts by Dasuki to commit treasonable felony against the country.

The DSS said the siege to the residences was to prevent the planned attempt.

The service, in a statement late Saturday night, signed by Tony Opuiyo, Dasuki resisted DSS operatives from carrying out their constitutional duty even when he was presented with a search warrant.

Recall that SSS operatives Thursday stormed three of the residences of the former NSA in Abuja and Sokoto state, during which incriminating items including arms were found in his possession.

The SSS statement titled ‘Preventing attempts to commit treasonable felony: the search on the residences of Mohammed Sambo Dasuki’ reads in part, “On 16th July, 2015, about 1650 hours, based on credible intelligence linking the immediate past NSA, Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Col Rtd) with alleged plans to commit treasonable felony against the Nigerian state, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) conducted a search on the properties belonging to the former NSA, Mohammed Sambo DASUKI (Col Rtd). The properties are on Nos. 13, John Khadya Street, Nos. 46, Nelson Mandela Street, both at Asokoro, Abuja, and Nos. 3 Sabon Birni Road, Gwiwa Area, Sokoto, Sokoto State.

“The search operations was planned to be simultaneously conducted, but DASUKI, refused the operatives entry into his main residence located at No.13 John Khadya Street, Asokoro, despite being presented with a genuine and duly signed search warrant. Consequently, what was to last not more than two (2) hours, lasted more than ten (10) hours, up till the early hours of 17th July, 2015.

"Indeed if not for the sense of maturity and professionalism of the officers and men assigned this task and the very good understanding and timely intervention of the new Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Y. Buratai (Maj. Gen.), there would have been a clash between the Army operatives guarding the house and Service operatives, as Sambo directed the soldiers on duty not to allow any movement into his house, despite the subsisting court order. Sambo thereafter raised a false alarm to the military authorities to come to his aid as he failed to correctly tell the military that his property was about to be legitimately searched...

“The days for impunity and indecisiveness in the face of unpatriotic acts by individuals operating against the state are over,” DSS warned.

The DSS, in the statement, recalled that Sambo retired from the Army as a colonel and was therefore not entitled to have military guards if not for the fact he was NSA, pointing out that even as NSA, such guards should have been withdrawn after his removal as NSA since he would not have been entitled.