A staff of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has narrated how officers of the Department of State Services, DSS, invaded their Abuja office asking of the Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The staff (name withheld) said the officers ordered that Kola reports to their office with the organisation’s documents tomorrow, Tuesday, September 10.
Recall that Vanguard reported that DDS invaded SERAP’s office in Abuja this morning.
However, as narrated by the staff, who spoke directly to Vanguard, the officers had no letter of invitation or any formal means of stating their purpose.
The staff was able to identify the person interrogating her as a DSS officer via the identity card the officer was trying to conceal.
According to the ID card, the DSS officer (a female) was from the FTC (Federal Capital Territory) Command.
The SERAP staff told Vanguard: “Some armed DSS officers were outside, while two, a male and a female, came inside the office.
“They invaded our premises at 11:09 a.m. and where here until 11:21 a.m.
“The female DSS officer kept asking for Deputy Director, Kola. I told her he was not in the country and asked if she had an appointment with him.
“She said no, that they just came for a friendly chat, and then asked for any other management staff they could talk to.
“I said none was available. Then they asked how many offices we have across the country. I said two, and that the other was in Lagos.
“When the DSS woman asked me for the Lagos address, I directed her to SERAP’s site.
“The two officers left the office to join their colleagues outside.
“A few minutes later, they came back in and asked me to tell the Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, to report to their office tomorrow, September 10.
“That was when the DSS officer revealed her identity by dropping her name (withheld) and phone number.
“However, I told her that there was no way I can get across to the Deputy Director today, and he will be able to get into the country and honour the invitation.
“I also told them that there should be a formal invitation letter for such processes. The DSS officer then told me to get in touch with the SERAP bosses and get back to her before the day is over.”
Earlier …
The DSS invasion is coming 24 hours after SERAP gave the Federal Government a 48-hour ultimatum to “reverse the unlawful petrol price hike”.
SERAP urged President Bola Tinubu to use his “leadership position and good offices to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to immediately reverse the apparently illegal and unconstitutional increase in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets.”
In the open letter dated 7 September 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The increase in petrol price constitutes a fundamental breach of constitutional guarantees and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
VANGUARD
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