The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday has revealed why it actually arrested one Mr. Ikenga Ugochinyere, an aide to the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
According to the DSS, the service said it had uncovered an alleged plot by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to provoke violent breach of peace in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). But the governor described the DSS’ allegation as a false and baseless alarm, New Telegraph reports
Wike stated that he would never succumb to the cheap blackmail of the secret service A statement by Mr. Tony Opuiyo of the Service, accused Wike of allegedly hiring one Mr. Ikenga Ugochinyere, to actualise the said plot.
Though, the DSS said Ugochinyere had gone under, it disclosed the arrest of Emeka Idibia, Ugo Apuamagha, and Ejike Nwachukwu. While referring to Ugochinyere as an aide to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Secret Service stated that the trio was apprehended at the point of allegedly perfecting logistics for execution.
“The DSS wishes to inform the general public that it has uncovered a sinister plot by the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike to disrupt machinery of governance in strategic Federal Government agencies by provoking a violent breach of peace in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, today (yesterday), 22nd December, 2016 and beyond especially at this Yuletide season.
“To achieve this, the governor had secured the services of one Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a personal aide to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki (Sen), to mobilise some hoodlums to execute their plan.
“The aim of the plot is to cause mayhem, a complete breakdown of law and order and cast the security agencies and the Federal Government in bad light. It is also intended to divert public and international attention from the ongoing police investigation into the unwholesome role played by the governor and some of his cronies in the violence that trailed the rerun election in Rivers State which resulted in the gruesome murder of civilians including the beheading of DSP Mohammed Alkali and some of his colleagues, as well as the brutalisation of INEC staff who failed to do the bidding of the governor.
“In furtherance of this plot, protesters are to besiege the National Human Rights Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Assembly, the Nigerian Army and Police Headquarters as well as British High Commission, US Embassy and the UN Secretariat, Abuja; all in an effort to raise false alarm that Rivers State was under siege of security agencies during the elections,” the DSS alleged.
According to the statement, “While the obvious aim is to draw public sympathy and international attention to spurious allegations of involvement of federal agencies in violence during the last elections in Rivers State, the actual objective is really to trigger a round of violent action against the government and create opportunity for idlers to join the deceitful protest. “Part of the orchestration is to provoke the security agencies and prompt them to take action against the protesters that could result in bloodletting.
It is in this line that Ikenga had gone to the outskirts of Abuja to mobilise unemployed youths to carry out his bidding. “All this was to be done for a fee and resources to be provided from the treasury of the Rivers State Government. “The young men were hired by Ikenga to take custody of items and materials for the planned violent protest.
The recovered items include banners, placards and posters with denigrating, inciting and hate inscriptions meant to impinge the authority of the Federal Government and further subvert the entire machinery of governance in the country.”
In addition, the Service noted that: “In order to make this look credible, Ikenga and his cohorts had adopted such groups as Lawyers in Defence of Democracy (LDD) and Citizens for Good Governance (CGG) as cover to supposedly make them look like serious minded civil rights groups and thus bring them into collision course with security agencies.
“Investigations have, so far, revealed that while Ikenga is the field organiser and coordinator of the planned protest, Governor Wike is his sole financial sponsor. “The DSS is disturbed that the governor, who is the Chief Security Officer of the state, will stoop so low to hire thugs and hoodlums to attack the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and create an atmosphere of chaos and disorder at this Yuletide season. ”
Speaking on behalf of the governor, Dr. Austin Tam-George, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, stated that the DSS was out to blackmail Wike. “It is an irresponsible scaremongering by an agency that seems bent on a mission to blackmail the Governor of Rivers State, and bring the state government into disrepute.
“Governor Wike is a man of peace, and would never orchestrate disturbances in any part of the country,” Tam-George stated. The state government accused the DSS of partisanship.
“A few days ago, the Minister for Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) sponsored street protests against Governor Wike in Abuja, without any alarm by the DSS. Why is the DSS ringing its hypocritical alarm bells against Governor Wike only now?
“Why has the DSS not yet provided evidence of the so-called billions of cash they alleged was taken away by Governor Wike from the home of the high court judge the agency invaded in Port Harcourt, some months ago? In its blind partisanship, the DSS has lost every credibility,” the commissioner stated in a statement made available to New Telegraph last night. The Rivers State Government challenged the DSS to leave Wike alone and instead focus its operational attention on the Boko Haram insurgency that has killed people and displaced millions of Nigerians in the past six years.
“The government and people of Rivers State will never succumb to cheap blackmail by the DSS, or any federal agency by whatever name,” he said.
However, Saraki stated that he would not condone any of his aides breaking the law. The Senate President, in a statement issued by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), said: “Though the DSS has not officially informed the Senate President of the allegations against Ikenga, but Dr. Saraki, having read the statement now circulating online, will want to make it clear that he will never condone any action by any of his aides which threatens the peace of the country or is against the provisions of the law.
“Dr. Saraki hereby calls on the DSS to properly investigate the allegations against Mr. Ikenga and if he is found to have acted against the law, then the law should take its natural course.”