By Richard Oduma
In a series of well-coordinated and syndicated newspaper columns, articles and advertorials, the Department of State Services has come under severe attacks from faceless individuals and groups in the last one month, the latest being the one by an apologist of the outlaw, Sunday Igboho and his accomplices, who goes by the name Femi Macaulay. In a January 3, 2022 article published in The Nation under the title, “DSS and Habitual Lawlessness,” credited to Femi Macaulay, the writer took the ignoble role of defending the Ekiti traditionalist, Dada Ifasooto, the suspect with alleged links to the outlaw, Sunday Igboho, and lampooned what is already known by the public as the agency’s successful massive operations to dislodge terrorist and secessionist elements as well as other enemies of the Nigerian state, not just within the south west, but also south east were terrorist and secessionist elements have killed and maimed innocent and defenseless members of the public who opposed their attempts to impose a reign of terror in the regions.
A close observation of the latest snide reveals that there is no better way to explain the affinity and romance terrorists now enjoy with citizens, such as Femi Macaulay, who desire a society free from crime other than, perhaps, being hired writers to advance the cause of terrorist and secessionist elements in and outside Nigeria. Only last week, an obscure American-based forensic psychologist, Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi, made some spurious and unfounded allegations against the operations as well as men and officers of the Department of State Services with the sole aim of creating bad publicity and bringing the public image of the Department of State Services and their critical role in defending and protecting Nigerians and the corporate existence of Nigeria into public contempt and ridicule. Both Femi Macaulay and Professor Oshodi’s diatribes against the agency reveal a consistent pattern, and Nigerians must be cautious of the new romance some of its citizens and, most especially, enlightened and acclaimed educated elite members of our society, now enjoy with criminals in Nigeria and are ready to stake their honor and integrity to defend them at all cost.
It is surprising that those who seek to exonerate criminal elements from their nefarious terrorist and secessionist agenda and destabilize the country bother themselves only with the cooked stories of the suspects and, without seeking further clarification from the agency, swallowed hook, line and sinker what they are told as true and reflecting what transpired in the course of investigation. The agency does not seek to prosecute any suspect if the substance of the case is weak or lacks merit. However, it serves the purpose of justice that suspects with useful information to aid investigation, arrest and prosecution of dangerous individuals and group members out to throw Nigeria into a preventable crisis and destruction of lives and property could be held to aid the agency’s operations. What Femi Macaulay, Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi and other traducers of the DSS may know is what the suspects said that is within the domain of the media but not what the suspects, such as Dada Ifasooto, willingly volunteered to investigators which has aided the course of investigations and operations of the agency.
Members of the public should note that the agency’s personnel are highly trained and motivated and will always operate within the ambit of the law. This can be attested to the various successes they have achieved through operations in arresting and prosecuting enemies of the Nigerian state. The attempt to dampen the morale of the men and officers is a familiar tactics among criminal elements and their supporters, whose aim to win the sympathies of the unsuspecting public in order to continue to perpetuate their criminal and nefarious activities.
Therefore the writeup by Femi Macaulay is directionless if not meaningless. It is not a constructive criticism either. It is noise on the highway. Maybe Femi Macaulay should take a new name and profession in directionless writing.
Oduma is the alternate Chair ,Conference of Ethnic Minorities in Nigeria
