My life is in danger, says IBB’s spokesman
Kassim Afegbua, spokesman of former military President Ibrahim Babangida, says his life is under threat.
Afegbua, who has been in and out of the offices of the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) since Sunday when he issued a statement on behalf of his principal, said the last six days have been traumatic.
He said on Wednesday, after spending seven hours without being told why he was summoned to the DSS headquarters, he was asked to return on Friday, and that an operative interrogated him over the statement after he had spent two hours.
He said at the end of the interrogation, his personal details were taken.
Afegbua added that he had been receiving strange calls since the controversy began.
“In the last six days, I have gone through traumatic experience when I was declared wanted by the Nigeria Police. By the strength of that unprofessional declaration, I was treated like a common criminal and fugitive until I showed up at the police headquarters Abuja to physically present myself,” he said.
“After what the police termed a no case issue, they were apologetic and I took my leave. In the evening of that day, Wednesday 7th February, 2018 I got a phone call inviting me to the headquarters of the Directorate of State Security (DSS).
“I honoured the invitation on Thursday and spent 7 hours waiting for attention. I left the office at 6.50pm when it became clear nobody was ready to tell me what the invitation was meant for. I was informed to report back on Friday 9th February, 2018 at 11am. On arrival on Friday, having spent 2 hours, I was attended to by the Director of Operations and two others who interrogated me on the said statement I issued. My interrogation was recorded electronically and was made to write a statement affirming the issued statement, having collected all my personal details; house address, account number, international passport number and other information.
“I find this whole episode quite nauseating and utterly condemnable. I cannot rationalise why just a statement would amount to subjecting me to rigorous interrogation especially when there was no complainant. The action of the Nigeria Police coupled with that of the State Security Service is at best that of a meddlesome interloper and sheer bullying, leaving serious developmental issues to chasing shadows with a view to intimidate, harass and embarrass me.
“Let me state at this point that my life is in danger as we speak. I have been receiving series of unknown phone calls from people threatening me and my family. But I am resolute in the true spirit of a free-born, that threats, intimidation, harassment and psychological torturing has never and will not stop me from exercising my right of free speech as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; as well as carrying out my professional responsibility. I will not submit to intimidation, harassment and threats. Certainly not. I have just a life to live and no one under God will live forever.”
Afegbua expressed appreciation to his principal for “standing by him” since the controversy began.
He also thanked his wife, Kayode Ajulo, his lawyer, and vowed not to succumb to “intimidation”.
“Thus, the decision of the Police Force ended the needless harassment of Mr. Afegbua. But apparently dissatisfied with the handling of the matter by the Police the Director-General of the State Security Service, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura was reported to have summoned Mr. Afegbua to his office for interrogation over the same controversial press statement.
“The Police had claimed that Mr. Afegbua had defamed General Babangida. If the retired General was defamed in the publication he has the liberty to seek redress in a high court. But the State Security Service has no power to convert the alleged civil wrong of defamation to a criminal offence to warrant the harrassmemt of Mr. Afegbua.
“Since the alleged denial of the press statement by General Babangida has not caused any threat to the internal security of the country the invitation by the State Security Service constitutes a gross abuse of powers.
“In the case of the Director of State Security Service & Anor. v Olisa Agbakoba (1999) 3 NWLR (Pt 595) 314 the Supreme Court held that the power of the State Security Service is strictly limited to the prevention and detention of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria as stipulated by section 2 of the National Security Agencies Act. Mr. Daura should therefore be restrained by President Buhari from subjecting Mr. Afegbua to any form of interrogation and thereby violating his fundamental rights to personal liberty and fair hearing guaranteed by the Constitution.”