The recent stand-off between two agencies of the federal government – Economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) – over a property at No. 15 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi is, to say the least, unnecessary and uncalled for.
The EFCC had in a press statement on May 30th, said the DSS “had barricaded the entrance (to the said property) with armoured personnel carriers. This development is strange to the commission given that we have cohabited with the DSS in that facility for 20 years without incident.
“By denying operatives access to their offices, the commission’s operations at its largest hub with over 500 personnel, hundreds of exhibits, and many suspects in detention have been disrupted. Cases scheduled for court hearing today have been aborted, while many suspects who had been invited for questioning are left unattended.
“Even more alarming is that suspects in detention are left without care with grave implications for their rights as inmates. All of these have wider implications for the nation’s fight against economic and financial crimes. The siege is inconsistent with the synergy expected of agencies working for the same government and nation, especially when there are ongoing discussions on the matter.’’
In a counter-response, the DSS, through its public relations officer, Peter Afunanya, said “The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to some media reports that it barricaded the EFCC from entering its Lagos office. It is not correct that the DSS barricaded EFCC from entering its office. No. It is not true. The service is only occupying its own facility where it is carrying out its official and statutory responsibility.
“By the way, there is no controversy over No 15A Awolowo Road as being insinuated by the media. Did the EFCC tell you it is contesting the ownership of the building? I will be surprised if it is contesting the ownership. Awolowo Road was NSO headquarters. SSS/DSS started from there. It is a common knowledge. It is a historical fact. Check it out. There is no rivalry between the service and the EFCC over and about anything. Please do not create any imaginary one. They are great partners working for the good of the nation. Dismiss any falsehood of a fight.”
But the Ikoyi incident is not the first standoff between the two agencies. The DSS had in May 2017, accused the EFCC of shielding from investigation and prosecution a former presidential aide, Kingsley Kuku, who was Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on the Federal Government Amnesty Programme on the Niger Delta because the EFCC had been investigating Kuku since 2015, without making much headway according to it. The DSS accused Kuku of not only sponsoring militancy in the Niger Delta but also being protected from facing the law by the EFCC.
Again, the agencies were embroiled in a show of superiority as they clashed in November 2017 at the No. 46 Mamman Nasir, Asokoro, Abuja residence of the former DG of the DSS, Mr. Ekpeyong Ita, who was being investigated by the EFCC for offences bordering on alleged theft and diversion of public funds. However, the EFCC operatives were prevented from gaining entry by armed guards from the DSS. Shortly after the EFCC operatives arrived, the DSS reinforced its security presence at the property, with the deployment of about 30 armed operatives.
At the same time but at a different location in Asokoro, armed guards also prevented EFCC agents from arresting Mr. Ayo Oke, who was sacked as director general of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency. It was not clear from reports if Oke’s arrest was thwarted by DSS or NIA guards.
Reacting to the latest stalemate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a statement from his office, directed the DSS “to immediately vacate the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ikoyi, Lagos.”
The statement, signed by Tunde Rahman, added that “The President gave the directive after media reports that DSS officials had stormed the EFCC office located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on Tuesday, preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from accessing their workplace, was brought to his attention. The president said if there were issues between the two important agencies of government, they would be resolved amicably.”
The swift intervention by the president is commendable as the commander-in-chief has shown leadership. But it should not end here. The president should follow up and ensure that all the issues are resolved to forestall a recurrence. Agencies working for the same administration must not be allowed to resort to self-help in dealing with one another as the Ikoyi incident showed clearly.
We also believe that there is the need to train personnel of various government agencies, particularly those that bear arms, on the need to cooperate with one another in the discharge of their duties. It is through cooperation, rather than confrontation, that these agencies will prove effective in the discharge of their mandates, the primary of which should be to keep the country and its citizens safe. Inter-agency rivalry among agencies, especially security outfits, is not good for the country and all efforts must be made to nip it in the bud.