By Iheanacho Nwosu,Abuja
The Departent of State Services (DSS) has insisted on keeping detained Special Advisers to Senate President on Youth Matters, Ikenga Ugochinyere and three others, saying it is unperturbed by some lawyers’ antics to do otherwise.
Recall that scores of lawyers and some civil society groups had, on Monday, in Abuja, staged a protest demanding the sack of Director General of the DSS, Lawal Daura. The protesting lawyers were led by Barr. Agu Okwukwe, staged protests in Abuja demanding the sack of the Director General of SSS , Lawal Daura.
Ugochinyere , Ugo Apumaga, Emeka Dibai and Ejike Nwachukwu were arrested and detained on December 22, 2016 by operatives of the DSS in connection with alleged plans to stage a violent protest in support of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, over the outcome of the state’s rerun elections.
The lawyers accused SSS of abuse of human rights and gradually working to destroy Nigerian democracy.
However, a senior DSS official denied the allegations insisting that the detained persons were arrested for working with the Rivers State Governor to disrupt peace in Abuja. The official, who does not want his name mentioned, said the DSS would continue to hold onto the suspects until investigation on the matter is concluded.
He claimed that the protesting lawyers had other motives other than what they raised during the demonstration even as he denied that the suspects are lawyers .
He said, “The Monday protest by the so called lawyers in Defence of Democracy was misplaced. We believe that that protest by the group, claiming to be acting on behalf of some aggrieved lawyers and Human Rights activists, has other hidden motives.
“The protesters’ main grouse was that some lawyers who are members of their group are being detained by the DSS. I wish to state categorically that no lawyer is in our custody. I repeat, no lawyer is being detained in DSS custody.”
The source continued “The names like Ugochukwu APUMAGA, Emeka DIBIA and Ejike NWACHUKWU that were paraded on Monday by the protesters as members of their group are not lawyers. They were arrested by the service for their role in the botched moves by Governor Wike to orchestrate violent demonstration with inciting and subversive posters.
Ikenga Ugochukwu was arrested with the trio.This is no longer secret because it was made public by the Service. In any case, the Service is not known to be in denial of any arrest it had ever made as it always avail members of the public of those it arrested and the reasons.