‘We’re Tinubu’s boys; we can do and undo’ - Rogue SSS director boasts while brutalising lawyer

A rogue senior operative of the State Security Service (SSS), has been caught boasting of his close ties with President Bola Tinubu as he brutally attacked a lawyer, Douglas Ogbankwa.

According to Peoples Gazzette, the Principal Staff Officer(PSO) of the SSS Edo state command, together with at least seven additional rogue operatives claimed that could anything they pleased because they have the president’s support even if it meant violating citizens’ human rights.

Ogbankwa narrating the brutal ordeal in the hands of the SS operatives said the PSO of the SSS Edo state command brutalised and later placed him under arrest for staunchly refusing to allow operatives of the agency whisk his client, Eromosele, to a secluded place to give a statement without the presence of a lawyer.

“I protested that I need to be present by the Provisions of the ACJA,” the lawyer wrote in a statement Tuesday evening. “It was at that moment that one man wearing blue native attire that I know is the PSO, Operations and Intelligence, came out asked my client to come out and shouted at me to go back to the reception.”

Mr Ogbankwa on his part insisted on being present during the questioning with his client. However, this provoked the PSO and prompted him to order him out of the agency, of which he refused, asserting the “DSS Office is an Agency of the Federal Government and I was a freeborn, who should be able to access same at reasonable hours of the day.”

The lawyer said he later made up his mind to leave the agency with his client but was met with a slap from the infuriated PSO.

“He slapped me immediately and asked his boys to bundle me into an Underground cell. I was dragged on the floor, cleared from my leg, I received over 7 slaps and blows,” Mr Ogbankwa said.

According to the lawyer, when he threatened to report the rogue agents to President Tinubu, his threat was dismissed as they bragged about being untouchable, claiming that they already had the president’s backing to carry out their illegal operations, which included harassment and extrajudicial killings.

“I told him the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must hear this and he said they are the President Boys,” asserted Mr Ogbankwa, who said the officials threatened to gun him down if he made any attempt to come to their facility after Tuesday.

“One of them even said they will kill me here and nothing will happen I am presently scared for my life as, the man holding gun said if I come to the DSS Office again, they will gun me down.”

When Peoples Gazette contacted the SSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, he denied the incident and described it as “drinking bar gossip”.

Recall that earlier this month, another rogue SSS agent shot two civilians at Garki International Market, Abuja, during an altercation with other traders.

It was reported that the agency took responsibility for the incident and paid the hospital bills for the injured.