On Saturday, President Muhammadu Buhari fired his Chief Security
Officer, Abdulrahman Mani, and requested the State Security Service to
redeploy him out of the presidential villa, sources in the presidential
villa and the State Security Service reported.
It was learnt that Mr. Mani has since been replaced by Bashir Abubakar,
who, until his appointment was an assistant director in the Bayelsa
state command of the SSS but the presidency has yet to officially
announce the development.
It was learnt that Mr. Mani has since been redeployed to the Ebonyi state command of the SSS.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi
Adesina, directed all enquiries on the matter to the State Security
Service.
“I don’t speak on security matters, so you may have to ask the SSS,” Mr. Adesina.
Close sources said that the president ordered Mr. Mani removed following
repeated complaints that he was blocking people with genuine
appointments from having access to the President.
“He was becoming excessively overzealous and overbearing,” one source said.
Mr. Mani first angered Mr. Buhari when he engaged the president’s
aide-de-camp, Mohammed Abubakar, in what appeared to be a power
struggle.
Mr. Abubakar, a Lieutenant Colonel, had issued a memo ordering personnel
of the State Security Service out of inner Aso Rock and restricting
them to guarding the “outer perimeter” of the presidential villa, saying
personnel of the Armed Forces and the police, trained as Presidential
Body Guards (PBGs), are to “provide close/immediate protection for Mr.
President henceforth”.
Mr. Abubakar said SSS operatives should steer clear of areas such as
“Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear
Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE
Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama”.
“However, the personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security
forces are to man other duty beats/locations located within the
immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa,” he said, without
providing reasons for the action.
But in a June 26 response to Mr. Abubakar, Mr. Mani, rejected the
directive and gave a counter order asking his colleagues to disregard
the spirit, intent and content of Mr. Abubakar’s circular.
Mr. Mani, who pointedly accused the ADC of grandstanding,
overzealousness, limited knowledge and outright display of ignorance,
insisted that Mr. Abubakar’s circular “grossly misrepresents” President
Buhari’s directive.
He however did not say what the President’s exact directive is.
Mr. Mani, a personnel of the SSS, continued,
“Though further actions have been initiated in this regard, including
routine redeployment of close body guards out of the villa, and
deployment of new ones, it is important to state that the duties
hitherto performed by the personnel of the DSS (SSS) in the Presidential
Villa and/or any other Key Vulnerable Points (KVPs) are backed by
relevant Statutes and Gazetted Instruments of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria".
“Among others, these roles include close body protection of the
President in line with standard operational procedures and international
best practices.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 2 (1) (ii) of Instrument No. SSS 1
of 23rd May, 1999, made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security
Agencies (NSA) decree of 1986 which has been re-enacted as Section 6 of
NSA Act CAP N74 LFN 2004, empowers personnel of the DSS to provide
protective security for designated principal government functionaries
including, but not limited to the President and Vice President as well
as members of their immediate families.
“It also mandates the DSS to provide protective security for sensitive
installations such as the Presidential Villa and visiting foreign
dignitaries. For this reason, personnel of the DSS who are on this
schedule are carefully selected and properly trained both locally and
abroad. Furthermore, continued background checks are maintained on them
to confirm suitability and loyalty.
“In fact, the issues raised in the aforementioned circular tend to
suggest that the author may have ventured into a not-too-familiar
terrain. The extant practice, the world over, is that VIP protection,
which is a specialised field, is usually handled by the Secret Service,
under whatever nomenclature. They usually constitute the inner core
security ring around every principal. The police and the military by
training and mandate, are often required to provide secondary and
tertiary cordons around venues and routes.
“However, all over other security agencies including the army, the
police and others have their roles to play. It is on this note that
heads of all security agencies currently in the Presidential Villa and
their subordinates are enjoined to key into the existing command and
control structure. They are to work in harmony with each other in full
and strict compliance with the demands of their statutory prescribed
responsibilities.
“Meanwhile, joint training programmes and other incentives will be
worked out in the days ahead to ensure that all security at the
Presidential Villa are properly educated to understand their statutory
roles and responsibilities. This is with a view to avoiding obvious
grandstanding, overzealousness, limited knowledge or outright display of
ignorance in future.”
Source: PREMIUM TIMES
Title : President Buhari fires his Chief Security Officer
Description : On Saturday, President Muhammadu Buhari fired his Chief Security Officer, Abdulrahman Mani, and requested the State Security Service to ...
