TheCable

Lawal Daura, director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), says he advised Abubakar Malami, minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation, to meet with Abdulrasheed Maina.

He said this on Thursday when he appeared before the house of representatives panel investigating Maina, former chairman of presidential task force on pension reforms.

He said he gave the advice after Malami sought his opinion on whether or not to hold the meeting.

“The attorney general of the federation sometime in 2016 or 2015, because it was not through a formal document, placed a call to me when he was outside the country,” he said.

“He wanted me to advise him whether to agree to see Maina or not in that foreign country.

“I responded to the attorney general that he should accept to see Maina but he should not see him alone. He should see him with a third party which he did.”

Daura also said the DSS provided security for Maina’s after the former pension boss wrote a letter to the secret police, claiming that his life was in danger.

He added: “The letter was scrutinised and fears expressed by Maina were also to a large extent established.

“Because of the right to life which is guaranteed by our constitution universally recognised, Maina’s case was directed to be looked into so as not to allow his life to be in jeopardy.”

He said no agency had written to the DSS seeking to arrest Maina, and added that the secret police had nothing to do with his reinstatement.