Sambo Dasuki, former National Security
Adviser
The former National Security Adviser, Mr. Sambo
Dasuki, yesterday raised the alarm over what he
saw as plot by the State Security Service (SSS)
to implicate him in alleged security breaches.
He said Nigerians should know that the invasion
of his house by the SSS was a sheer witch-hunt.
He said it was sad that the operatives of the
security agency broke into his ailing father’s
house in Sokoto and broke his safe.
Dasuki, who spoke exclusively with our
correspondent on the phone yesterday, said he
does not deserve such treatment because as the
National Security Adviser he did not maltreat any
Nigerian.
He said he was subjected to a 12-hour ordeal
from 6pm on Thursday till 6am on Friday.
“The SSS operatives came in two trucks with a
search warrant from a Magistrate Court. The
warrant gave them the power to search for
‘illegal weapons and any incriminating item.’ You
can imagine what that is supposed to mean.
“I left office on Tuesday and they got the warrant
on Wednesday and executed it by 6pm on
Thursday.
“From 6pm on Thursday, throughout the night till
about 6am this morning (Friday), they were
searching my house looking for incriminating
items.
“They restricted my movement. I cannot go out
and no one can visit me. All those who
attempted to see me were stopped from doing
so.
“In fact, my son was blocked from entering my
residence. My two cooks, who used to come
from their homes to prepare my meals, were also
disallowed from leaving my house.
“The only person allowed was the man who
feeds my dogs. And he only related with the
dogs.
“By Friday morning, they packed away all the
nine cars in my residence. I could not go out to
perform the Eid-el-Fitr prayer because of the
restriction.
Even when I sought permission to go to Eid
Praying Ground, they promised to provide a
vehicle but they never did.”
Responding to a question, Dasuki said: “This is
just a witch-hunt; they are desperately looking
for something to implicate me.
“They went to my father’s house including
breaking into the ceiling to look for incriminating
documents. They broke a safe in my father’s
house.
“Also, my sister kept a 20-year old box in my
father’s house, they also forced it open. What
has my father got to do with this?
“And the old man is in hospital in London. He
was shocked to hear that they broke into his
house. The good thing is that they did not find
anything.
“They brought the photocopy of a 2007 draft by
my brother, Ahmed, and asked me to comment
on it. Was I in office in 2007 as NSA? You can
see the extent to which they are ready to go to
implicate me,” he said.
The State Security operatives yesterday also
seized his international passport and $40,000
cash found in his house.
They retrieved three rifles which were being used
by members of the protective team while in
office.
The disengagement of the Protective team was
yet to be completed yesterday but the SSS asked
him to explain how he came about the rifles.
At about 6 pm yesterday. the SSS operatives
were withdrawn from his residence.
Dasuki’s movement remains however restricted
to the country as his traveling documents are
now with the SSS.
According to findings, the SSS team obtained
statement from him from about 5pm till some
minutes to 6pm.
A source said: “They seized the ex-NSA passport
and raised issues on how he came about the
$40,000 in his house. They went to the extent of
asking him to give the details of how he came
about the cash.
“On the rifles, they repeatedly questioned him on
what he was doing with them. He took time to
explain that they belong to members of the
Protective Team guarding him. They became
excited as if they had found an evidence against
him.
“I think by the time the case gets to a court,
Nigerians will know the truth or otherwise of
their findings.
On the allegations against him, especially the
ones bordering on purchase of arms, funds for
counter-insurgency and the seized $15million in
South Africa , Dasuki said: “I read some of these
allegations in The Nation but nobody has asked
me some of these things they are saying. I was
not even in charge of some of these things. How
do I account for all?
“And if you want me to respond to these issues,
you have to give me access to relevant
documents. You do not need to restrict my
movement. You can see that they are just out to
set me up. Even if they find a knife in my house,
they will say it is incriminating.”
“There are some who should account 10 times
for some of these allegations they are raising but
they are walking about freely, ” he added.
Dasuki, who sounded confident on the phone,
said as a retired senior military officer and ex-
NSA, he ought to be better treated.
“Everybody should know what is happening. They
sent some low-level officers, looking for
something to implicate me.
“It is just a witch-hunt. If you want me to make
clarifications on any issue, in the spirit of
democracy and the rule of Law, have the
courtesy to invite me and as a gentleman, I will
honour the invitation. Sending two trucks to lay
siege on my house and restrict my movement is
just abysmal.
“For a man who left office on Tuesday, where
will I run to? I have nothing to fear.”
The former NSA said he was unfairly treated by
the SSS because when he was in charge of the
nation’s security, he was “cautious, careful and
fair “in his approach.
He added: “I was fair to all as NSA. Even when I
had security cause to act on some issues,
inflammatory comments and actions against the
government of the day by those in the
opposition, I exercised restraint. I did not restrict
anyone’s movement, I never asked security
agents to occupy anybody’s house.
“But that is the new change we have, this is our
own definition of democracy. All I know is that
everything has a beginning and an end in a
democracy. I gave my best for this transition,
which led to the victory of the opposition over
the ruling party.
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