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Melaye describes DSS-EFCC face-off as ‘an international embarrassment’

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DINO MELAYE
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Dino Melaye

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, says the ongoing face-off between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) has embarrassed the country in the international community.

Melaye expressed this opinion on Wednesday during the plenary of the Senate, saying that the altercation between the two law enforcement agencies has caused innocent Nigerians undue inconvenience.

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On Tuesday, the EFCC went to the Maitama district of Abuja to arrest Ita Ekpenyong, former Director-General of the DSS and Ayodele Oke, former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), over allegations of corruption.

However, DSS operatives at the residences refused to grant the EFCC personnel entry into the separate premises to effect the arrests.

This led to a confrontation between the operatives of the two agencies, and the cordoning of the road leading to the street.

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Melaye wondered why innocent Nigerians would be denied access into their homes, adding that the development is a recipe for national disaster.

“Mr. President, the media and the social media, print and electronics have been awash with a disaster that took place yesterday,” Melaye said.

“The EFCC went to the residence of the former Director-General of the SSS, Ita Ekpeyong, to effect an arrest and the Directorate of State Security stopped the EFCC from arresting him.

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“That created environmental brouhaha. The whole environment and neighbours were stopped from lawfully gaining entrance into their homes because of this confusion.

“Same yesterday, the EFCC wanted to arrest the former DG NIA, Mr. Oke. Also, the officers of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency stopped that arrest.

“We are not here to say who is at blame. We have been embarrassed before the international community that two sister agencies will engage in fisticuffs, arrest and stoppage of arrests. Mr. President, this is a recipe for national disaster.”

Reacting to the motion, Biodun Olujimi, a lawmaker from Ekiti State, said it appears Buhari has lost control of his administration.

She wondered how two agencies under the presidency could be having a disagreement, with the President doing nothing.

“Right now, we have a situation whereby nobody is in charge of anything and we cannot honestly blame anyone for what is happening,” Olujimi said.

“The truth is that you cannot go to the house of a security agent, a man who had kept the secrets of Nigeria for so long, and just try to arrest him like chicken.

“Mr. President, there has to be someone that we can hold responsible when two brothers are fighting. The person that is supposed to be held responsible has not done anything; he is not doing his work.

“This is the first time we’ll see gross irresponsibility in government whereby there is no arbiter, no one to come in between two agencies that belong to only one person.

“The two agencies report to one person, the presidency, and now we find them fighting on the pages of the newspapers; it’s a shame.

“We are calling on the President; he has to sit up. He should be up and doing. Call these people to order.”

Olujimi reminded the legislators that Magu had been twice rejected by the Senate “and up till today nothing has been said about it”.

“After all, there are 170 million Nigerians, all of a sudden, we are saying only one person can do this job. Mr. President, something has to be done, the presidency has to be called to order,” she said

“Nobody is in charge of this government. Nobody is in charge and somebody needs to be in charge.”

However, Ibrahim Lawan, Senate Majority Leader, said it was wrong for Olujimi to have insinuated that Buhari was not totally in charge of the administration.

President Buhari is in “full control of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

“Even when Mr. President was away to attend to his health, the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, was in full control.

“The statement by our colleague is unacceptable. It’s not right, it is wrong.

“My opinion about what happened is that, could it be that EFCC did not get the right kind of document to arrest those people? “If they did, then the security agencies are wrong. Only the investigation would reveal this.”

It was eventually resolved that an ad hoc committee should be set up to investigate the incident and report its findings in two weeks.