DSS arrests three over bribery allegation against DG

The Department of State Services said it arrested three persons over false allegation that its Director-General, Mr. Lawal Daura, took N4bn bribe to influence Supreme Court judgements.

Parading the suspects before journalists in Abuja on Friday, an operative of the service, Mr. Abdullahi Garba, also accused them of planning to blackmail and extort Daura.

He said the suspects were planning to misinform President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian public that Daura had also acquired choice properties in the Maitama and Asokoro Districts of Abuja.

The suspects, Usman Ahmed Danmallam and Nura Shehu Lawal Giwa (aka Marafan Zazzau) were arrested on February 17, 2016 at Unguwar Sarki, Kaduna State, while Hussaini Monguno (aka Colonel) was arrested in Abuja.The suspects were alleged to have claimed during telephone conversations that Daura collected N4bn from the Peoples Democratic Party Governors of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Abia and Taraba states to influence the recent judgements of the Supreme Court in their favour.

Garba said that the objective of the plan was to scare the DSS DG and put him under undue pressure in order for the group to extort money from him.

He alleged that Monguno (aka Colonel) had lied that he had served in the Nigerian Army.

He said, “The DSS wishes to draw the attention of the public to the infamous activities of some unscrupulous elements who have resorted to condemnable tactics aimed at blackmailing and extorting money from unsuspecting and innocent people.

“A method used by the group is to tell lies against their victims and also plant rumours about them in certain government circles so as to create the impression that the targets are corrupt and have breached legal procedures in the discharge of their responsibilities.

“A typical instance is the arrest of the trio of Usman Ahmed Danmallam and Nura Shehu Lawal Giwa (aka Marafan Zazzau) on February 17, 2016 at Unguwar Sarki, Kaduna North LGA of Kaduna State and Hussaini A. Monguno (aka Colonel) in Abuja. This three-man gang had perfected plans to blackmail the DGSS solely based on falsehood.

“The group claimed that the DGSS collected the sum of N4bn from the PDP Governors of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Abia and Taraba states to influence the judgements of the Supreme Court in their favour in the recently-decided electoral cases by the court.

“They were also to misinform the President and in fact, the Nigerian public that the DGSS had acquired choice properties in Maitama and Asokoro areas of Abuja.

“The overall objective was to scare the DGSS and put him under pressure just for the group to extort money from him to serve their pecuniary interest.”