SERAP asks President to call NIA, DSS to order over clash with EFCC

The group was reacting to the recent clash between the Operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On Tuesday, November 21, the EFCC operatives stormed the Abuja home of the former heads the DSS and the NIA, Ita Ekpeyong and Ayodele Oke respectively, to arrest them, but their security orderlies shielded them.

The security men reportedly created a day-long stand-off that nearly turned fatal.

Ekpeyong led the SSS from 2010 when President Goodluck Jonathan appointed him until 2015 when Buhari replaced him with Lawal Daura.

Oke was fired on October 30 over the controversial N13 billion cash haul which the EFCC recovered from an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos, in April.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 22, SERAP said Buhari should take a sharp action that would send a strong signal about his position on corruption matters.

"By moving speedily to stop this kind of behaviour by the SSS and NIA officials, Buhari would be making clear that under his watch, those accused of grand corruption would not be allowed to circumvent the law no matter their status in the society," the statement signed by SERAP's deputy director, Timothy Adewale, said.

He lamented that the DSS and NIA that is supposed to be part of the efforts to drive out corruption in the country are now the agencies obstructing justice.

"Nothing more fundamentally undermines public confidence in the fight against grand corruption and trust in government than to see state security agencies paid for by public funds apparently aiding and abetting those suspected of engaging in corruption to escape justice," Adewale said.

The EFCC had initially invited Oke and his wife, Folashade, for questioning shortly after the former intelligence chief was sacked by Buhari.

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It is still not clear why the anti-graft agency stormed his residence and why his security officers prevented the EFCC from taking Oke into custody.

The specific corruption allegations against Ekpeyong is also unknown as at the time of filing this report.