…accuses them of planning to disintegrate Nigeria
Department of State Services, on Sunday, lambasted Nigerians demanding President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation due to the worsening insecurity in the country.
DSS said Buhari’s critics were misguided elements, accusing them of threatening the government, sovereignty, and corporate existence of the country.
Recall that many prominent Nigerians had criticised Buhari over his failure to tackle insecurity particularly, the Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, and banditry across the country.
Last week, Buhari’s erstwhile supporter, the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka, had urged the National Assembly to impeach the President for incompetency if he failed to resign.
But the DSS in its reaction to the series of verbal attacks on the President, through its spokesman, Dr Peter Afunanya, said the main objective for the calls was the disintegration of the country.
The secret police, in a statement on Sunday titled, “DSS supports indivisible, united Nigeria, warns against unsavoury, inciting utterances,’ said it has noted, “their desperation and penchant to collaborate with external forces and influences against Nigeria.
“The Department of State Services hereby condemns the unsavoury statements by misguided elements who have continued to threaten the government, sovereignty and corporate existence of this country.
“Notable are the unnecessary vituperations and activities of some religious and past political leaders who have either called for a forceful change of government or mass action against it.
“It has been established that the main objective for these is to cause a disintegration of the country.
“It is unfortunate that those in the forefront of this are respectable individuals who should be patriotic and not allow their personal ambitions to ruin the nation. The Service has also noted their desperation and penchant to collaborate with external forces and influences against Nigeria.”
The DSS spokesman reminded the individuals that “even though democracy offers free speech, it does not give room to reckless pronouncements capable of undermining security.”
The agency noted that the ballot box remained the vehicle of change in a democracy and warned “self-centred individuals and groups” to stop engaging in acts inimical to the peace and sovereignty of this nation.
The DSS also admonished influential personalities to be sensitive to the emerging situations and guard against divisive and inciting utterances that may cause a breakdown of law and order.
“Recently, the Service invited and cautioned some persons who deniably recounted their earlier statements or said they were quoted out of context. The public should be wary of such individuals and their co-travellers who, incite them in the open but turn in the secret to retrieve their words after they had caused the damage,” the statement said.
While reaffirming its support to “an indivisible, indissoluble and united Nigerian State in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution,” the DSS said it will “no longer tolerate deliberate machinations by subversive and hostile groups whose agenda is to throw the country into anarchy so as to serve the interests of their sponsors.”
The service said it was working with other security and law enforcement agencies to ensure the maintenance of peace and internal security of the country.
