DSS Raid On NNPP’s Kano Secretariat Sparks Controversy
The Kano state branch of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has accused the Department of Security Services (DSS) of intimidating its members and conducting raids on its state campaign offices.
However, in a swift response, the secret police stated that it has been impartial in carrying out its duties and has provided all political parties with equal opportunities, adding that it has only recovered dangerous weapons from the campaign offices of a few politicians.
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This allegation was made by the NNPP, the state’s leading opposition party, just days after the party accused the state’s police leadership of collaborating with the state government to harass and arrest its members.
A few days later, the IGP reassigned the commissioner of police in the state to the state of Plateau and posted two new CPS and three Deputy CPs to oversee the state during the election; however, the police stated that the reassignment had nothing to do with the allegation because it also affected other commands.
Umar Haruna Doguwa, chairman of the NNPP in Kano, told journalists on Wednesday that the offices of the directors of Support Groups and the director of Youth Mobilization were raided by DSS agents.
“It has come to our attention with horror that DSS agents were brazenly bringing weapons from their vehicles into the offices of our directors. This occurred in the presence of our campaign staff, who also videotaped the event.
“We have photographic and videographic proof of this blatant setup”.
“We are writing to bring to the attention of the Director General of the DSS the need to call his Kano Command to order,” said Doguwa, insisting that the DSS must cease “intimidating, harassing, and framing our members.”
The party leader also accused the Kano DSS director of being in cahoots with the state government, claiming that the director should have retired last year but was kept in place due to state government interference to serve its own interests.
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Peter Afunanya, the spokesman for the DSS, told newsmen that its personnel had only recovered firearms, swords, daggers, and jackknives, among others, from a few politicians.
In a WhatsApp conversation with one of our correspondents, Afunanya sent images of allegedly recovered dangerous weapons, including clubs, cutlasses, and firearms, and asked, “Are these campaign materials?”
He stated, “The property was subject to a search warrant. This is a false account of what occurred. In the state of Kano, the DSS did not intimidate any political parties.
“The Service is impartial and has provided equal opportunities for all parties to carry out their activities.
A firearm, swords, daggers, and jackknives, among others, were recovered as a result of a legal security operation and valid search conducted on a suspicious property. “The Service is committed to maintaining a violence-free environment prior to and following elections.”
Muhammad Garba, the state’s commissioner of information, could not be reached at the time this report was filed for a response to the allegation that the government conspired with the secret police to rig the election.
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