Buhari sacks Army bodyguards in Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered for the immediate removal of officers and men of the Nigerian Army and restore the officials of the Department of State Security Service, DSS, as his body guards.

It was learnt that the order was given by President Buhari shortly before he proceeded on his annual vacation to London, United Kingdom, UK, on January 19.

The development followed a series of complaints by the Chief Security Officer, to the President, CSO Bashir Abubakar who was said to not have been comfortable with the soldiers protecting the president.

Read also: CJN: Unlike Buhari, Osinbajo has shown he listens, Fayose says

It was gathered that the use of army officers as body guards to provide protection to the President started soon after President Buhari moved into his official residence at the presidential villa after being sworn in May 2015.

But the development did not go down well with the DSS which maintained it was its duties to protect the president. It was further gathered there had been a running battle between the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) Abdulraman Mani and the Aide de Camp (ADC) to the President, Colonel Lawal Abubakar on which of the agencies would do the job.

While Mani insisted on the operatives of DSS to protect the President, the ADC preferred soldiers to serve as body guards.

The battle between the two aides led to the removal of the former CSO by President Buhari.

It was gathered that what informed the president’s decision to replace the DSS with soldiers was his experience in the hands of the DSS operative during his campaign.

But a memo dated Friday, June 26th 2015 insisted that the DSS officials should disregard the ADC’s directives. It was learnt that the memo which quoted the relevant sections of the constitution which empowered the DSS to carry out such security functions were also copied the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Director-General of the DSS.
Vanguard, January 10, 2017

 

 

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