Disregarding a substantive court injunction, officers of the Department of
State Security Services (DSS) on Wednesday invaded the residence of former
Director General of the service, Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (rtd).
The new Director-General of DSS, Lawal Musa Daura, upon assumption of
office wrote personally to Are, asking him to vacate the Ikoyi residence
for reasons not stated.
The residence in question, No 50 Alezander, Ikoyi, was officially given to
Are when he was DSS Director, but was asked to vacate the premises despite
an injunction by the court ordering the Federal Government to stay action.
Refusing to vacate the premises as instructed, he was put under house
arrest by the DSS.
Journalists, who had gone to the scene to cover the eviction, were asked
to turned back.
The personnel arrived early in the day, with an order that nobody should
come close to the house.
Are is a retired Nigerian Army Colonel, served as an officer in the
Directorate of Military Intelligence up until retirement by General Sani
Abacha.
Are was appointed as DSS boss by President Olusegun Obasanjo. He served in
that position throughout President Obasanjo’s two terms (1999-2007), and
was replaced by Afakiriya Gadzama, who was appointed in August 2007 by
President Umaru Yar’Adua.