DSS accuses Wike of conniving with Saraki’s aide to destabilise Abuja

The Department of State Services (DSS) says it has uncovered a plot by Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor, to cause mass violence in the federal capital territory (FCT).

The secret police said this in a statement issued by Tony Opuiyo, its agent, on Thursday.

According to the DSS, Wike wanted to execute his plan through Ikenga Ugochinyere, an aide of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

“The Department of State Services (DSS) wishes to inform the general public that it has uncovered a sinister plot by the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike to disrupt machinery of governance in strategic federal government agencies by provoking a violent breach of peace in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, today, 22nd December, 2016 and beyond especially at this Yuletide season,” it said.

“To achieve this, the governor had secured the services of one Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a personal aide to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to mobilise some hoodlums to execute their plan.

“The aim of the plot is to cause mayhem, a complete breakdown of law and order and cast the security agencies and the federal government in bad light. It is also intended to divert public and international attention from the ongoing police investigation into the unwholesome role played by the governor and some of his cronies in the violence that trailed the re-run election in Rivers state which resulted in the gruesome murder of civilians including the beheading of DSP Mohammed Alkali and some of his colleagues as well as the brutalisation of INEC staff who failed to do the bidding of the governor.”

The DSS said Wike had hired protesters to besiege the National Human Rights Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the national assembly, the Nigeria Army and police headquarters as well as British high commission, US embassy and the UN secretariat, Abuja “in an effort to raise false alarm that Rivers state was under the siege of security agencies during the election”.

“While the obvious aim is to draw public sympathy and international attention to spurious allegations of involvement of federal agencies in violence during the last elections in Rivers state, the actual objective is really to trigger a round of violent action against the government and create opportunity for idlers to join the deceitful protest,” it said.

“Part of the orchestration is to provoke the security agencies and prompt them to take action against the protesters that could result in bloodletting. It is in this line that Ikenga had gone to the outskirts of Abuja to mobilise unemployed youths to carry out his bidding. All this was to be done for a fee and resources to be provided from the treasury of the Rivers state government.  It is also worrisome that Ikenga would engage in this nefarious plot when, after his last arrest earlier this year by the service, he had pledged to be law abiding and not to cause a breach of the peace.

“Though Ikenga is now at large, the trio of Emeka Idibia, Ugo Apuamagha and Ejike Nwachukwu have been arrested and are helping with further investigations. These men were picked up at the mobilisation venue trying to perfect the logistics for this unholy enterprise. The young men were hired by Ikenga to take custody of items and materials for the planned violent protest.  The recovered items include banners, placards and posters with denigrating, inciting and hate inscriptions meant to impinge the authority of the federal government and further subvert the entire machinery of governance in the country.

“In order to make this look credible, Ikenga and his cohorts had adopted such groups as lawyers in Defence of Democracy (LDD) and Citizens for Good Governance (CGG) as cover to supposedly make them look like serious minded civil rights groups and thus bring them into collision course with security agencies. Investigations have so far revealed that while Ikenga is the field organiser and coordinator of the planned protest, Governor Wike is his sole financial sponsor.”

The DSS said it was disturbed that the governor “will stoop so low to hire thugs and hoodlums to attack the federal capital territory (FCT) and create an atmosphere of chaos and disorder at this yuletide season”.

Wike has since denied the allegation, alleging that the secret police was out to tarnish his reputation.

He spoke through Austin Tam-George, his commissioner of information.