House of Reps may tamper with powers of Nigeria’s secret police

The last may not have been heard about the conduct of the Department of Security Services (DSS) in the arrest and prosecution of judges. The House of Representatives, bitter over alleged attempts to muzzle the judiciary, on Wednesday instituted a committee to review alleged abuse of power by Nigeria’s secret police.

Speaker Yakubu Dogara, while inaugurating the committee, condemned the shoddy treatment meted out to judges under the guise of ‘sting operation’ conducted by the DSS. He wondered if the activities of the agency did not amount to duplication of roles and vowed sweeping reforms to address the issue.

“It is untidy, it seems, to have multiple agencies exercising similar functions. The EFCC already handles issues of corruption and economic crimes in Nigeria.

“Should the State Security Service also be charged with the same function?” Dogora asked.

He added, “The activities of the State Security Service of late have raised concerns in the Nigerian polity as to the propriety of the conduct of officials of the service and whether their actions are consistent with the law setting it up.

“It is in this regard that I enjoin this committee to make relevant findings of fact that will enable the National Assembly initiate the necessary amendments to the National Security Agencies Act —and even the Constitution where necessary— to ensure conformity with the constitutional design and framework that envisage that federal legislative power should be domiciled in the National Assembly and not shared with the executive in the manner provided under the Act.”

Dogora joins a long list of critics who believe that the Buhari administration is muddling the concept of separation of powers all in a bid to prosecute an anti-corruption war which is a cardinal promise made by him and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The arrest and detention of select Nigerian Judges began on the night of October 7, 2015. Till date, only Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Adeniyi Ademola have been arraigned for alleged bribery and money laundering.

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