Buhari Is Playing With His Life – Former DSS Boss

The recent bold decision by President
Muhammadu Buhari to entrust his personal
security to the hands of the military has
taken many by surprise.
The former security consultant and former
director of the Department of Security Service,
Mike Ejiofor gave an interview to Vanguard and
said that the president is risking his life trying to
settle personal scores.
He also said that Buhari is risking the national
security and the security of the president with his
recent order. Excerpts
Do you think the army has the capacity to
provide close body guard protection for the
president?
It is a laughable question because, on one hand,
the president is directing that the military check
points be withdrawn to perform their military
duty. How can you now entrust the life of the
president to the military when there are people
who are statutorily charged with the
responsibility? Whether the ADC was given the
directive, he doesn’t have the authority and
capacity and I stand to be challenged. It cannot
come from the ADC. If government has been
constituted, such matter should either come from
the NSA or the Secretary to the Government of
the Federation.
READ ALSO: Controversy As Buhari Orders
SSS Out Of Aso Villa
The Department of Security Service is charged
with the protection of the president, the vice
president, the Senate president, the governors,
deputy governors, speaker of the House of
Representatives and state lawmakers and their
families.
The president’s security should not be toyed
with. I believe that what is going on now is
people who are trying to settle personal scores.
Instead of looking at national security, they want
to settle personal scores and, in the process,
compromise national security and the security of
the president. I don’t believe it, but if it is true, it’s
rather unfortunate because the military personnel
being drafted are not trained in body guard
protection. The DSS men are trained for VIP
protection and the president falls under VIP.
What do you think is the way forward?
In the present circumstance, government has to
issue a statement because the statement from the
Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity did not deny or confirm that the DSSS
has been asked to leave the Villa. There must be a
specific statement on whether they have been
withdrawn or not. As we speak, we don’t know
the true position and it is very dangerous to the
security of the president.
A recent memo from the presidential palace
revealed that Buhari’s ADC had ordered the
removal of all DSS operatives from the inner
regions of the palace, turning them into
celebrated gatemen.