By FIDELIS IWEN PH.D
In the 31 December 2021 article published by the Punch newspaper with a screaming title, “DSS Stick to National Security Mission” credited to an obscure American-based forensic psychologist, Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi, the writer made some wild and unfounded allegations against the operations as well as men and officers of the Department of State Services with the sole aim of creating bad publicity and thus bringing the public image of the Department of State Services and their critical role in defending and protecting Nigerians and the corporate existence of Nigeria into public opprobrium and ridicule. Arising from the ill-motive of the so-called professor, who should know, as he claimed, but chose to turn logic on its head, one feels obliged with absolute sense of patriotism and national service to one’s fatherland and humanity to put the record straight for the purpose of posterity.
If Professor Oshodi were to premise his article all through on truth about the long-standing outstanding achievements and conduct of the men and officers, as he himself had admitted from the outset, that “the DSS has been known to successfully perform well in matters relating to internal security responsibility” and “many of them [DSS personnel] acted ethically and professionally,” there wouldn’t be any need to reply a professor who knows the truth but chose to turn logic on its head by obfuscating the facts about the operations of the Department of State Services and the high professional conduct of its men and officers.
In spite of the need to be wary of the dangers of single narratives from key suspects working with their accomplices in and outside Nigeria to destabilize the country through acts of terrorism, secessionist agitations and armed, Professor Oshodi chose to believe them without trying to seek clarification from the agency on what transpired between the agency and the suspect.
To start with, Professor Oshodi chose to believe the accounts of the Ekiti traditionalist, Ifasooto, without first acknowledging the extra-ordinary sacrifices the agency has rendered in ending the obnoxious and illegal activities of Sunday Igboho, Nnamdi Kanu and arresting and prosecuting their partners in crime which would have plunged the country into unfathomable crisis and unquantifiable loss of lives and property.
The professor chose to deal in half-truths, untruths and falsehoods by not seeking to know what transpired during the interrogation of the suspect and how much useful information the suspect willingly volunteered to interrogators, which has aided further investigation and operations of the agency. The tense security threats posed by Sunday Igboho and his men in the south west have disappeared since the men and officers of the agency began massive operations in the region to deal decisively with enemies of the Nigerian state.
There is a relative calm now in the south east following similar operations to tame members of the IPOB, whose members are noted for destroying people’s property and killing innocent citizens in the name of pursing an unpopular secessionist agenda. No Nigerian citizen or anyone resident in Nigeria deserves to die through the illegal activities of non-state actors—and ending these terrorism and armed attacks is what should matter to the professor who seems to be ensconced in America and has lost touch with reality in Nigeria. Although, the agency is not a secret police, and does not seek to be one in the future, the professor ought to know that no successful security agency aimed at getting high results will make every piece of sensitive security intel public knowledge without first taking proactive steps to arrest the situation.
If not for mischievous intention, the professor listed the achievements of the agency between 2001 and 2018 without bothering to talk about the details of the operations. Yet, these operations, namely, the successful arrest and deportation of the fanatical Pakistini proselyters who illegally entered Nigeria by the DSS in 2001, the successful interception in 2010 of a large cache of arms and ammunition coming from Iran at the Apapa port in Lagos by the DSS, the successful infiltration of many fanatical religious groups in the country including the Boko Haram sect which led to preventing crimes by the DSS, the successful rescue of a kidnapped parish priest, Rev. Fr Sylvester Chukwura, of the St Bernard’s Catholic Church in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State from his abductors’ hideout after the kidnappers were enticed with the ransom sum by the DSS, and other successful operations deserve commendations.
It is uncharitable to run down an entire agency on accounts of two obvious incidents the professor does not adequately know what transpired and what course of events are still unfolding. When the professor said that “some of the agency’s operatives behav[e] like Nigerian mafia, notorious boys/girls, gangsters, mobsters, native doctors, juju operatives, and errand boys/girls for “oga and madam,” he does not provide evidence to substantiate his claims, except, perhaps, on unverifiable reports of the treatment of the Ekiti traditionalist, Ifasooto which, even in standard academic tradition, should be received with caution. Blaming Sanusi’s ordeal on the DSS is like giving a dog a bad name to hang it.
The DSS did not appoint him. The DSS was not responsible for his removal. The DSS should not be blamed for always acting fast to prevent an open confrontation between those who occupy positions of influence in our society. Every discerning mind should know that, as long as the authority to appoint and dethrone the paramount rulers resides with the highest political authority at the state level, there is little or nothing the agency can do, except to act to prevent crisis, breakdown of law and order.
