Already, multiple sources said, Mr Kyari has ordered Mr Seiyefa, who was named to the position only last month following the sack of Lawal Daura, to reverse some key decisions he took and desist from implementing new measures unless otherwise directed from the presidency to do so.
This newspaper learnt that Mr Seiyefa called Mr Kyari’s bluff saying he would rather report to and take directives from the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, under whose office the SSS is structurally placed.
The rift has become so pronounced that top directors at the SSS and even some rank and file are now threatening to either fight the battle openly with their principal or quit the service entirely — saying political interference has corroded the agency’s professionalism and should no longer be tolerated.
Mr Kyari’s position, contained in a letter he wrote to Mr Seiyefa on August 30, prescribed the types of administrative decisions the new spy chief should not make without permission from him.
Mr Kyari said Mr Seiyefa should immediately recall some directors who were recently asked to proceed on terminal leave. State directors in Borno, Cross River, Kaduna and Oyo were cleared for terminal leave by Mr Seiyefa, ahead of their retirement from service.
Other officials who were redeployed are also asked to return to their previous posts, a decision Mr Seiyefa sees as an attempt to undermine his authority, according to people close to him.
Mr Seiyefa was appointed on August 7 by then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, moments after the dismissal of Mr Daura.
Mr Daura was accused of ordering the August 7 siege which SSS operatives laid to the National Assembly, drawing nationwide condemnation amongst those who saw it as an affront to democracy.
Mr Seiyefa assumed office promising to clean up the mess at the agency, which many expect would involve doing away with the controversial tactics of Mr Daura.
His appointment was widely hailed by top civil society personalities, including Chidi Odinkalu, a former head of the National Human Rights Commission who described the new spy chief as “a thoroughbred professional” in an exchange with PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr Seiyefa demonstrated the genuineness of his resolve by immediately holding a press briefing to address issues confronting the SSS, especially in relation to human rights and internal accountability.
Some of the promises were already being implemented, as several persons held on obviously flimsy grounds and without trial were being set free. He also appointed a new spokesperson for the agency within a week of settling in office, years after Mr Daura sacked the agency’s spokesperson and closed down its media unit.
While high-profile detainees like Shiite leader Ibrahim el-Zakzaky and former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki have not been released, human rights activists are optimistic that Mr Seiyefa would soon enforce the multiple court pronouncements granting bails to the duo.
PREMIUM TIMES has not been able to independently establish why Mr Kyari is becoming increasingly suspicious of Mr Seiyefa’s actions at the SSS, but officials at the secret police allege it was an attempt to bring back Mr Daura or someone else the administration felt would be amenable to its interest ahead of the 2019 elections.
Mr Osinbajo took the decision when he was acting president while Mr Buhari was in London on vacation for 10 business days. Mr Seiyefa was the most senior official when he was appointed last month, and is expected to retire next year because he joined the agency in 1984.
But since Mr Buhari returned to the country, there have been strong indications that he was not in support of the summary dismissal of Mr Daura, contradicting earlier claims by presidential spokespersons that the president signed off on Mr Daura’s sack.
“They do not want him to be taking those decisions, so they want to weaken his resolve and reform agenda,” a senior SSS official told us this weekend. “They are suspicious of him and want to remove him to put some favourable people that may help them win the elections.”
Presidential spokespersons Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu did not return PREMIUM TIMES’ requests for comments.
Peter Afunanya, the new spokesperson for the SSS, also did not return requests for comments.
Mr Daura was taken into custody for questioning shortly after he was sacked. His whereabouts remained unclear.
If Mr Daura is reinstated as SSS insiders fear, it may be seen as a move that undermines the vice president, but it would not be the first time Mr Buhari has reversed disciplinary decisions by top administration officials while he was away.
Earlier this year, Mr Buhari reversed the suspension of Usman Yusuf months after he was suspended as the executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme. The Minister of Health Isaac Adewole ordered Mr Yusuf’s suspension on allegations of fraud in July 2017, a decision approved by Mr Osinbajo while he was acting-president as Mr Buhari received medical attention for undisclosed ailments in London.
Some officials, including junior personnel, told PREMIUM TIMES they were ready to resign if that is “where they are dragging the service,” saying the agency’s image had already been too battered in recent years.
Another senior official said Mr Kyari’s demand for the recall of officials on terminal leave could spark administrative and personnel row within the agency.
“We are wondering whether they are going to place them on contract when they come back because they have been replaced already,” an SSS official said.
A top security source close to the presidency and conversant with the new development told us that plans are afoot to reverse the various reorganisations embarked upon by the new Acting DSS boss, Mathew Seiyefa. The sources said: “The presidency is not happy with some recent deployment by the acting Director General of DSS, Mathew Seiyefa especially the redeployment of Director of DSS in Kano, Alhassan Muhammad to the Headquarters in Abuja and the deployment of Director Operations at the Headquarters, Mr. Godwin Bassey Eteng who was moved to the Institute of Security Studies, Abuja as Director.
And the posting of another officer from Kebbi to serve as the Chief of Staff to the DG in Abuja. “The recent reorganisations which the new DSS chief has initiated include but not limited to postings of directors from headquarters to states and vice-versa. Others include reorganisation within the headquarters, postings across the various government agencies, and postings among the rank and file. Over 30 officers at all levels and cadres are affected in the reorganisation.”
“The impending reversal of the reorganisation is to maintain the status quo hitherto left by the erstwhile DSS boss Daura to pave way for his likely return following what the source revealed as a clean bill of health given to him or for a new replacement that will be very loyal to the Presidency and the government of the ruling party.”
The recall of Lawal Daura may portend misgiving in the eyes of both local and international communities in view of the current development is what security pundits could not clearly discern. Barely a week ago, we carried an exclusive report to the effect that the sacked DSS boss rose up to defend himself of allegations of highhandedness and carrying out actions without the approval and knowledge of the Commander-in-Chief, notably the siege on the National Assembly.
The associates of former DG DSS claimed that Daura was neither given query over any issue nor indicted on his handling of affairs of the service until his sack. Daura insisted that he took all actions in national interest through a collective responsibility, including involvement of principal officers of sister agencies even though he did not disclose who authorised the siege on the National Assembly (NASS).
Daura was reported to have felt demoralised after being tagged as a mole of the opposition elements for laying a siege on the National Assembly. He insisted he took the daring moves to protect the Presidency and the ruling party against the antics of the powerful opposition elements.
It was reported that when he was invited by the then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for the security briefing, he quickly rushed out and left some of his personal belonging including phones in the office. He noted that when he was whisked away and eventually sacked, he did not know his offence.
The sources hinted that: “Spymasters all over the world can be sacrificed but not to the extent of rubbishing their integrity and reputation on the altar of political considerations, especially a spymaster created by the same system, considering the delicate and sensitive nature of intelligent services.
