Men of the Department of the State Service have uncovered arms and ammunition from the Akwa Ibom State Government House in Uyo.It was learnt that the discovery was made during a surprise raid. The operation was jointly carried out by operatives from the SSS headquarters in Abuja and the state command, according to Premium Times. The SSS reportedly stormed the Hilltop Mansion based on security reports.
After ransacking the entire residence of the governor, which is yet to be occupied by the serving Governor, Udom Emmanuel, the operatives moved to guest houses and the presidential lodge, said to be currently in use by ex-Governor Godswill Akpabio.
Security sources said on Friday that the arms were found in one of the guest houses while searching for documents and Improvised Explosive Devices.
When contacted, the state government declined to comment on the report.
Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has condemned the invasion of the Akwa Ibom Government House by the armed men of Department of State Services.
Fayose said the manner the DSS ransacked, intimidated and harassed the occupants, claiming they were searching for bomb and documents, was “strange and anti-democracy.”
The governor, however, accused the DSS of acting a sinister motive to run down the Peoples Democratic Party-controlled states, instead of going after the Independent National Electoral Commission suspected to have been involved in graft.
He said, “Interestingly, the DSS under Alhaji Lawal Daura that has turned Akwa Ibom State and other states into centre of its draconian operations has not deemed it necessary to invite for questioning, the Yobe State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Abu Zarma, in whose bank account N15m alleged to be a bribe was found.
“From the barbaric act of the DSS and other actions under Alhaji Lawal Daura in the last few weeks, one can conclude that Daura is taking Nigeria back to the 1984 era of Gen. Mohammadu Buhari and this is unfortunate.
“No doubt, the DSS Director-General is acting out a sinister script of taking over the PDP-controlled states in the South-South and South East by whatever means.
“Daura’s actions as the DG DSS are regrettable, unfortunate, condemnable and unacceptable because he has come to symbolise dictatorship, which democracy abhors.”
Fayose, who addressed journalists on Friday in Ado-Ekiti through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call Daura to order or sack him if he was uncontrollable.”
“As for me, I will continue to talk because Nigeria belongs to all of us. Nigeria is not a banana republic that can be ruled anyhow by anyone and Daura should know that this reign of brute force over constitutional democracy will fail.”
