Osinbajo sacks Lawal Daura as SSS DG

The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has directed the termination of the appointment of the Director General, State Security Service, Lawal Daura, with immediate effect, the presidency has said.

“Mr. Daura has been directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the State Security Service until further notice,” Laolu Akande, Mr Osinbajo’s spokesperson said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Akande also shared the statement on his Twitter handle.

The sack is believed to be related to Mr Daura’s role in the siege on the National Assembly on Tuesday.

HOW HE WAS APPOINTED

Mr. Daura had retired from the service before he was recalled on July 2, 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari to head the organisation.

Mr. Daura, 65, who was born in Daura, Katsina State on August 5, 1953, retired from the SSS in 2013, having reached the statutory retirement age of 60.

President Buhari is also from Daura in Katsina state.

He had joined the service in 1982 and was a one-time deputy director, Presidential Communication, Command and Control Center at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He also served as state director at various times in many states of the Federation including Kano, Sokoto, Edo, Lagos, Osun and Imo.

But instead of appointing a new director general from some of the highly qualified officers of the organisation, the President rather went for his kinsman, Mr. Daura, in a move many commentators described as nepotism.

Mr. Daura attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from 1977 – 1980.

He attended various professional courses both home and abroad including the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS) Kuru.

Mr. Daura was the sixth director general of the SSS, one of the three security agencies created out of the defunct National Security Organisation in 1986.

He succeeded Ita Ekpenyong, who was appointed DG of the agency on September 8, 2010.

He would be remembered for turning the secret police into an organisation that became notorious for illegal arrests and detention of citizens, abuse of court orders, deep partisanship and human rights abuses.

A BLOCKADE AND A SACK

Before the sack was announced by his aide, Mr Osinbajo summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and Mr Daura, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the two security chiefs, who arrived Aso Rock at different times, were to update the acting president on security developments including the blockade of the National Assembly by security officials.

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently on vacation in London.

Mr Idris was the first to arrive at about 12.35 p.m. before the arrival of Mr Daura at about 1.15 p.m.

The police and operatives of the SSS early on Tuesday, blocked the main gate of the National Assembly, preventing lawmakers and staff from gaining access into the complex.

The security operatives, however, later allowed the lawmakers access into the complex while journalists and other staff were barred.

The siege has been condemned by most Nigerians and leaders of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The security siege is believed to have been put in place to allow for the forceful removal of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, from office.

Mr Saraki recently defected from Nigeria’s ruling APC to the PDP.

The APC has asked him to resign saying it still controls majority in the Senate. Mr Saraki has, however, indicated that he would not resign as he believes he still enjoys the support of majority senators including some of the APC.