Following the dismissal and arrest of the Director of the State Security Service, Lawal Musa Daura, the Inspector General of Police began an investigation into the activities of the former SSS Boss and wrote a preliminary report to the Acting President detailing, among other things, sensitive information like where Daura is being held and asking for permission to search his house. A number of media houses taught it wise to make this information public.
The journey to being sacked and arrested is popularly believed to have started for Daura on August 7 when masked DSS operatives prevented Senators and House of Representative members from entering the National Assembly.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki had called a meeting of the leadership of the National Assembly to consider a proposal from President Muhammadu Buhari on the said day.
Videos soon began flying all over social media showing a female member of the House of Representatives, Boma Goodhead, daring the operatives of the DSS to shoot her as she and her colleagues were prevented from entering the complex. An action which reminded many of a sad history of dealing with defectors.
Just hours in, the Vice President was reported to have invited the IG of Police and the SSS Director to the Villa. It was later reported that the IGP denied any Police involvement while the DSS Director was sacked and asked to hand over to the most senior official with immediate effect. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo went further to condemn the siege on the National Assembly calling it unconstitutional.
Osinbajo’s position and decision received accolades from most Nigerians, including the opposition party. Reports soon emerged that Daura has been picked up by Police and, at some point, the EFCC. He was replaced with Mathew Seiyefa who was Director in charge of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) and the most senior officer.
Two days later, Premium Times and TheCable gave “exclusive” reports with details of a preliminary report from the IGP to the Acting President. Premium Times says it does not know if the Acting President has seen the documents it revealed to Nigerians.
The content of this single document, which includes the signature of the IGP, has been the subject of multiple reports by news media houses with each sentence being a “story” told in two sentences with a promise of details later.
Most concerning is that the document mentions the exact location Daura is being kept and requested the permission of the Acting President to do a search of Mr. Daura’s house.
Premium Times, in the same report in which it reveals this sensitive information, claimed that Mr. Daura has been set free and allowed his mobile phone while only his passport was seized. Should this part of the report be accurate them Daura would have read of the plan to search his house before the paper was sure the Acting President had even seen the request.
