Former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, who was released on Friday
by the State Security Service, SSS, after a 24-hour siege on his Abuja
residence, has accused the Muhammadu Buhari administration of witch hunt,
saying he was badly treated despite his effort at being fair to all while
in office.
Mr. Dasuki, who was removed from office last week, said his “restraint”
and fairness helped the Buhari’s All Progressives Congress, APC-led
government to power.
He said the government is now desperate to nail him for unclear reasons,
according to the Nation newspaper.
“I was fair to all as NSA. Even when I had security cause to act on some
issues, inflammatory comments and actions against the government of the
day by those in the opposition, I exercised restraint. I did not restrict
anyone’s movement, I never asked security agents to occupy anybody’s
house.
“But that is the new change we have, this is our own definition of
democracy. All I know is that everything has a beginning and an end in a
democracy. I gave my best for this transition, which led to the victory of
the opposition over the ruling party,” Mr. Dasuki said in an exclusive
interview with the Nation.
He condemned the SSS for also breaking into his father’s house in his home
state of Sokoto.
The former NSA was held alongside a retired colonel, Bello Fadile, between
Thursday and Friday.
In the interview with the Nation, Mr. Dasuki recounted his experience, and
narrated how more than a dozen SSS operatives in two trucks barred him
from leaving his house, and stopped other people from entering the
property for 24 hours.
“The SSS operatives came in two trucks with a search warrant from a
Magistrate Court. The warrant gave them the power to search for illegal
weapons and any incriminating item. You can imagine what that is supposed
to mean,” he said.
“I left office on Tuesday and they got the warrant on Wednesday and
executed it by 6pm on Thursday.
“From 6pm on Thursday, throughout the night till about 6am this morning
(Friday), they were searching my house looking for incriminating items.
“They restricted my movement. I cannot go out and no one can visit me. All
those who attempted to see me were stopped from doing so.
“In fact, my son was blocked from entering my residence. My two cooks, who
used to come from their homes to prepare my meals, were also disallowed
from leaving my house.
“The only person allowed was the man who feeds my dogs. And he only
related with the dogs.”
He said by Friday morning, the personnel evacuated all the nine cars in
his residence.
“I could not go out to perform the Eid-el-Fitr prayer because of the
restriction,” he said.
“Even when I sought permission to go to Eid Praying ground, they promised
to provide a vehicle but they never did.”
He said the government is desperate about implicating him.
“This is just a witch-hunt; they are desperately looking for something to
implicate me.
“They went to my father’s house including breaking into the ceiling to
look for incriminating documents. They broke a safe in my father’s house.
“Also, my sister kept a 20-year old box in my father’s house, they also
forced it open. What has my father got to do with this?
“And the old man is in hospital in London. He was shocked to hear that
they broke into his house. The good thing is that they did not find
anything.
“They brought the photocopy of a 2007 draft by my brother, Ahmed, and
asked me to comment on it. Was I in office in 2007 as NSA? You can see the
extent to which they are ready to go to implicate me,” he said.
On the allegations against him regarding purchase of arms, funds for
counter-insurgency and the seized $15million in South Africa, Mr. Dasuki
said: “I read some of these allegations in The Nation but nobody has asked
me some of these things they are saying. I was not even in charge of some
of these things. How do I account for all?
“And if you want me to respond to these issues, you have to give me access
to relevant documents. You do not need to restrict my movement. You can
see that they are just out to set me up. Even if they find a knife in my
house, they will say it is incriminating.”
“There are some who should account 10 times for some of these allegations
they are raising but they are walking about freely,” he added.
Mr. Dasuki said as a retired senior military officer and ex-NSA, he ought
to be better treated.
“Everybody should know what is happening. They sent some low-level
officers, looking for something to implicate me.
“It is just a witch-hunt. If you want me to make clarifications on any
issue, in the spirit of democracy and the rule of Law, have the courtesy
to invite me and as a gentleman, I will honour the invitation. Sending two
trucks to lay siege on my house and restrict my movement is just abysmal.
“For a man who left office on Tuesday, where will I run to? I have nothing
to fear,” he said.