Some call it the law of karma. I prefer the older formulation: what you do unto others shall, in time, be done unto you. Nigerias recent political history offers few more instructive illustrations of this truth than the parallel fates of Sambo Dasuki and Abubakar Malami.

Those expressing sympathy for former Attorney‑General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, over his current ordeal with the EFCC and the DSS may have conveniently forgotten what befell former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Colonel Sambo Dasukiarrested barely a day after handing over office. His story remains one of the most troubling indictments of executive overreach in Nigerias democratic era: a case study in how personal vendetta, political score‑settling, and institutional disregard for judicial authority can be disguised as the pursuit of justice.

The roots of the Dasuki saga run deep into Nigerias military past. Dasuki played a significant role in financing and facilitating the 1983 coup that brought General Muhammadu Buhari to power according to retired Colonel Mustapha Jokolo, Buharis former ADC. He was also involved in the 1985 countercoup that removed Buhari and installed General Ibrahim Babangida, though he was not among those who physically arrested Buhari. Colonel Abdulmumini Aminu, who led that operation, confirmed that he and three others actually carried out the arrest without Dasuki. These historical details matter because the bitterness they produced never fully disappeared.

Dasuki was arrested in late 2015 and charged with money laundering over the alleged diversion of arms‑procurement funds during the Jonathan administration. What his accusers refused to acknowledge, however, was that during his tenure as NSA dozens of towns were successfully reclaimed from terrorists. It was also a period when banditry had not yet taken root in the Northwest or North‑Centralan insecurity trend that escalated only later under the Buhari administration.

While the allegations against Dasuki appeared serious on paper, what followed was far worse: a systematic assault on the rule of law.

Multiple courts granted him bail. He met every condition. Yet each time, he was immediately re‑arrested without any new charges. This cycle continued until he became the only public official in Nigerian history to remain in detention despite bail orders from four different courts, including the ECOWAS Court.

In a particularly troubling twist, Malami falsely claimed in a VOA interview that Dasuki had killed 100,000 people and justified his continued detentiondespite multiple bail orderson national‑security grounds. This misinformation and media‑trial posture led to his summons before the LPDC in 2019, where he eventually recanted.

President Buhari later made the administrations stance explicit during a televised media chat, declaring that Dasuki would not be released regardless of court orders and describing him as a security risk. It was a rare moment when executive contempt for judicial authority was openly acknowledged.

Beyond the physical detention, the Buhari era normalised media trialswhere citizens were convicted in the court of public opinion long before any judge had ruled. The EFCC and the DSS were the most notorious instruments of this strategy.

The case of Colonel Nicholas Ashinze illustrates this vividly. Ashinze, a military intelligence officer who played a key role with technical partners in operations that reclaimed territories from Boko Haram, found himself facing charges even as the EFCC issued a statement so inaccurate that it provoked a rare judicial rebuke.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole condemned the EFCCs conduct, describing its statement against Ashinze as scandalous and prejudicial to fair trial. He ordered the agency to apologise publicly to the officer and suspended the trial. The EFCC complied, attributing the falsehoods to an internal mix‑up.

Similarly, the arms probe panel under ONSA, chaired by one Air Vice Marshal Jon Odeh, was disbanded after members were themselves indicted for receiving bribes from individuals they were investigating. These episodes underscored the institutional impunity that characterised the period.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking dimension of Dasukis ordeal was the treatment of his father, the late Alhaji Ibrahim Dasukiformer Sultan of Sokoto and one of Nigerias most revered traditional and Islamic leaders. Despite repeated appeals, he was denied permission to visit his son in detention. He died without seeing him.

This act was widely condemned as unnecessary crueltyan example of how political rivalry had crossed into something far more callous.

By contrast, when the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu detained former Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai over corruption charges, he was immediately released following his mothers death. I welcomed the gesture, while wishing that the mercy had come earlier and that no public official should spend more than a month in custody merely awaiting trial. The standard of decency we apply must be consistent, regardless of who occupies the dock.

Dasuki was eventually released on Christmas Eve 2019, after Buharis re‑election. His freedomcoming after more than four years in detentionfelt less like justice and more like a political calculation that had finally run its course.

Contrast this with the treatment of Abubakar Malami, who served as Attorney‑General and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023. In 2025, Malami was arrested by the EFCC on allegations ranging from corruption and acquisition of exotic properties to terrorism‑related offences and illegal possession of firearms.

The irony is unmistakable. Malami was the chief law officer who authorised and supervised the prosecution of Dasuki. He wielded the machinery of state prosecution against perceived opponents for eight years. Now he sits where they once saton the receiving end of the same system he helped to shape.

Yet there is a crucial difference. Within two months, Malami was granted bail by both the EFCC and the DSS. There were no sensational media trials. No re‑arrests after meeting bail conditions. No presidential declarations that he would remain detained regardless of court orders. Whatever one thinks of the current administrations handling of the matter, the contrast with the Dasuki precedent is stark.

The Buhari administrations disregard for due process extended beyond political opponents. On June 9, 2016, the Nigerian Army summarily retired 38 senior officersnine major generals, eleven brigadier generals, seven colonels, and eleven lieutenant colonels. They learned of their retirement through the media. Despite vague allegations of professional corruption, none was formally accused, charged, or tried under military law.

These were decorated officers. Colonel Mohammed Suleiman had foiled a Boko Haram attack on Aso Rock. Colonel Danladi Hassan had led troops in reclaiming territories, while Lt. Colonel Mohammed Abdulfatai commanded a special counterinsurgency operation in Konduga that resulted in the elimination of more than 200 terrorists in December 2014. Yet they were dismissed without the dignity of a fair hearing.

The National Industrial Court ruled six times that the retirements were unlawful and ordered reinstatement with full benefits. The Senate and House of Representatives reached the same conclusion. The Army ignored them all. One officer, Ojebo Ochankpa, died in 2017 still awaiting justice.

Nearly a decade later, most remain unreinstatedvindicated by every court, yet denied the justice those courts prescribed.

This is the legacy of the administration that Malami served and defended. By any honest measure, it was one of the most lawless periods in Nigerias democratic history.

While we must insist that Malami receive the fair trial that Dasuki was denied, we must also demand accountability for those who orchestrated the abuses of the pastnot through fresh lawlessness, but through the very institutions they once undermined.

What you do unto others shall be done unto you. The real question is whether, this time, we will do it better.

Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of “An Encounter with the Spymaster” Email: yashuaib@yashuaib.com

The post The Trials of Dasuki and Malami A Study in Nemesis: What You Do Unto Others appeared first on YAShuaib.

It is both shameful and appalling that despite the prolonged persecution of the Dasuki familyfrom the dethronement of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, to the harassment of his offspring under General Sani Abacha, forcing some into exile and the humiliation of Sambo Dasuki under former President Muhammadu Buharia fresh wave of media trials has resurfaced through an investigative report in a U.S. tabloid funded through grants.

The recent report titled “UNCOVERED: Power & Polo”, published by The Post and Courier examines how Aiken, South Carolina, a historic enclave for wealthy horse enthusiasts, has become a destination for international figures with controversial pasts, including those accused of money laundering and corruption.

While such investigative reports may be well-intentioned, their reliance on grants and donations often raises questions about their independence, depth, and objectivity. For instance, the report fixates on Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria’s former National Security Adviser, alleging that his purchase of Green Hill Farms in the early 2000s involved funds channeled through shell companies in the Bahamas and Hong Kong.

Aiken has long been a retreat for the wealthy, dating back to the 19th century when affluent personalities sought refuge from harsh climates and diseases. Its sandy terrain made it ideal for polo, attracting elite families. Today, it remains a hub for international horse lovers, including billionaires from Dubai, Russia, and Nigeria.

However, the narrative took a deliberate turn when the report linked Dasuki to Aiken, stating that he purchased Green Hill Farms in 2002 (23 years ago) for $950,000 in an apparent cash deal, allegedly raising red flags regarding the transaction’s legitimacy. The report also claimed that his wife, Farida, attempted to secure an EB-5 “golden visa” by asserting that the farm would be used for a horse-breeding businessa request allegedly denied due to questions surrounding the source of funds. Nowhere in the report, however, was it stated that Dasuki or his family faced any formal investigation regarding the purchase.

How does a legitimate business transaction from 23 years agonearly a decade before Dasuki was appointed National Security Adviser (NSA)suddenly become breaking news, especially when no U.S. authority is probing it?

What is particularly troubling is the deliberate attempt to link this 2002 transaction to Dasukis 2015 arrest in Nigeria, where he was accused of embezzling $2.1 billion meant to combat Boko Haram. This tenuous connection, spanning over a decade, is misleading and reeks of sensationalism and calculated mischief.

Surprisingly, other media outlets latched onto that angle and further distorted the story, cherry-picking sensational elements to attract readership. The entire report appears to be a rehash of the long-standing persecution of Sambo Dasuki and his family through media trials.

The reports biases are glaring. It uses derogatory language to describe Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, a respected public figure, distinguished diplomat, and successful businessman who passed away in 2016 at the age of 92. Including the name of the Sultan appears to be an attempt to tarnish his legacy.

It is necessary to highlight that Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki was a multimillionaire industrialist, banker, and philanthropist who played pivotal roles in Nigerias political, religious, and business spheres.

A report from The Los Angeles Times (May 14, 1991) titled “The Sultan of Sokoto Bridges Two Worlds in Nigeria” described him as “a millionaire industrialist and banker.” Educated at Barewa College and Oxford University, he served as a private secretary to Sir Ahmadu Bello, was a Nigerian diplomat in Sudan and Germany, and chaired Nigeria Railways before founding BCCI Nigeria. He held a significant religious role as Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. He was also known as a collector of rare cars and a breeder of racing and polo horses.

Additionally, The Los Angeles Times noted how, in the early 1990s, Sultan Dasuki personally funded a $2.5 million modernization of the Sokoto palace. This underscores the established wealth of the Dasuki family. The Dasuki lineage includes politicians, public administrators, and successful businesspeople in telecommunications, real estate, shipping, and oil and gas industries.

Yet, the report deliberately ignores these facts, focusing on unverified allegations. If the investigators lacked the resources to travel to Nigeria, they could have conducted thorough research to provide a balanced perspective. Beyond ethical and quality concerns, the investigation lacked thoroughness, as it relied on hearsay regarding Boko Harams risewhich began about a decade after the alleged farm purchase.

When Dasuki became National Security Adviser in 2012, the Boko Haram insurgency was at its peak, yet Western powers offered little assistance. It is public knowledge that the U.S. and its allies hindered President Goodluck Jonathan’s counterterrorism efforts, refusing to sell arms to Nigeria under the guise of human rights concerns. This lack of support contributed to Jonathan’s political downfall, paving the way for a new government.

Rather than governing effectively, the new administration launched a selective anti-corruption campaign that demonized opposition figures while shielding its own supporters. The so-called Dasukigate scandal became a tool for political persecution, with campaign financiers of the ruling party granted immunity while opposition figures faced relentless prosecution.

The reports limited scope and depth further demonstrate its bias. It fails to address the broader context of Dasukis tenure as NSA. Despite challenges, under Dasukis leadership, the Nigerian military successfully reclaimed more than two dozen towns and communities from Boko Haram. Available records confirm the liberation of numerous cities across Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States, including Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, and Vimtim. Pictorial and video evidence of these military successes, including the rescue of 234 abductees from Sambisa Forest on April 30, 2015, remain publicly available.

While foreign military instructors, often derisively labelled mercenaries, contributed to these victories, the Nigerian militarys achievements were undeniable. Unfortunately, rather than sustaining these gains, the new administration abandoned crucial security agreements, leading to the resurgence of armed banditry and insurgency in the North-West and North-Central regions. Today, once peaceful states, such as Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, and Niger, have become epicentres of terrorisma situation far less pronounced under Dasukis leadership.

As the $2.1 billion Dasukigate case remains in court, one can only hope that the Tinubu administration allows the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), under its current chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, to expose the corruption of past administrations. If properly investigated, the alleged anti-corruption fight of the previous government will be revealed for what it was: a targeted assault on political opponents while shielding allies from accountability.

The disjointed narrative of The Post and Courier, the U.S. tabloidpresented in the “UNCOVERED: Power & Polo” report, is a disservice to journalism and a blatant attempt to rewrite history. It is high time we moved beyond media trials and focused on facts, fairness, and the pursuit of justice. Like Nigeria’s history, the Dasuki familys legacy deserves to be treated with respect and integrity.

Yushau A. Shuaib is the Author of An Encounter with the Spymaster yashuaib@yashuaib.com

The post Polo, Politics, and the Dasuki Family appeared first on YAShuaib.

On December 29, it will be exactly four years that you have been re-arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS). Since that disheartening day in 2015, you have been clamped in illegal detention, in utter disregard for the rule of law and unconcealed contempt for court orders directing your release from unlawful custody. (https://cutt.ly/dasukibails)

It is no longer news that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has blatantly and consistently disobeyed the several bails granted for your release by High Courts, the Appeal Court and the ECOWAS Court of Justice. More worrisome is the fact that the judges/Justice involved seem afraid to enforce their judgments in this regard. The Judges possibly nurse the fear of a similar predicament that befell the first trial judge in your case, Justice Ademola Adetokunbo, who had ordered your immediate release. Subsequently, his house was not only ransacked, but he was also humiliated and arraigned in court, alongside his wife who was then Head of Service in Lagos State. Although both of them were acquitted of the charges brought on them by the state, they were immediately retired from public service after this. (https://cutt.ly/ademola)

Once again, I wish to commiserate with you over the death of your father, Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, who unfortunately was not able to see you before he passed on in Abuja; and also over the mysterious death of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, whose family equally went through some frightening plight thereafter.

Meanwhile, the AVM Jon-ode Arms probe panel, which claimed to have indicted a number of security officials, mostly Nigerian Airforce officers, was unceremoniously disbanded after some members of the team were caught red-handed in criminal activities and corrupt practices. (https://cutt.ly/jonode)

That infamous panel deliberately refused to acknowledge the efforts of the previous administration, during your tenure as the National Security Adviser (NSA), when our gallant troops recovered many towns and villages from Boko Haram terrorists in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

Some of the liberated towns then include, but are not limited to, Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, and Vimtim, among other communities. There are available videos and pictorial evidence on these successes, including the rescue of 234 abductees (women and children) on April 30, 2015, by the military, who had stormed sections of the Sambisa Forest. (https://cutt.ly/bokotowns)

The same panel must have deliberately ignored the classified ‘Operation Salama’ in North-West, during which our illustrious troops eliminated hundreds of terrorists in notorious terrorist enclaves in the Kano-Jigawa axis, in an intelligence-driven operation sanctioned by the then government of the two States, in cooperation with traditional institutions in the areas.

Prior to this, the insurgents had sacked police stations, shut down schools and businesses and were taxing citizens and running an illegal administration, especially in Lamba and Bolmo Forests, in the Gwaram district of Jigawa State in 2014, before the military offensives that liberated these places with minimal collateral damages. (https://cutt.ly/jgschool)

Since the destruction of the enclaves and elimination of the terrorists by the well-trained special forces, there has never been a repeat terrorist incursion in that axis, except for the suspected reprisal attack on the convoy of late Emir Ado Bayero of Kano.

Meanwhile, the terrorists have sustained their atrocities in the North-East. In fairness to President Buhari, his administration has provided adequate funding for recruitments and the procurement of equipment for the military, but the terrorists still engage our troops in a cat-and-mouse game. Governor Zulum recently cried out that Boko Haram had occupied some communities in Borno State after the terrorists executed Muslim aid workers and converted a Christian female worker into a permanent sex-slave. (https://cutt.ly/zulum)

I wish the current NSA Babagana Monguno could learn some crucial lessons from your administration, in curtailing the excesses of insurgents and banditry in the North-East and North-West, through the cooperation of traditional institutions and the political class in local communities. In fact, effective coordination of the operations Python Dance of General Buratai and Rattlesnakes of Air Marshal Sadique could make the desired impacts.

I am still surprised that Northerners, especially from your Sokoto axis, have not demonstrated enough courage to press for your release, just as other states and regions have been clamouring in defence of their people who are facing persecution. Imagine the Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, from Kebbi State, who ought to strive to be fair and just, claiming in a media interview that you (Dasuki) were instrumental to the death of 100,000 Nigerians, even when the entire death tally since the break of the Boko Haram menace has been less than 25,000! When your family took him before the Disciplinary Panel of the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee over the prejudicial statement, he recanted and denied making such claim. (https://cutt.ly/malami)

It is very painful that some close allies of President Buhari, who could have intervened on your behalf, are not only your supposed friends but are more importantly family members. The wife of Mamman Daura is your full sister. The wife of a former Chief Justice of the Federation, Mrs Maryam Uwais, is your step-sister. Even Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, is an in-law, who played a key role in your wedding. I don’t need to mention your relationship with Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, Adamu Adamu, Rotimi Amaechi, among others. Why are they silent about your fate? Is it the fear of losing power or patronage? (https://cutt.ly/spymaster)

Meanwhile, I have noticed the courage and fearlessness of a few retired army officers who have publicly defended you, especially on the positive roles you played in Buhari’s life and your sacrifices to the nation as a distinguished spymaster. For instance, a former ADC to General Buhari during the military era, Mustapha Jokolo, disclosed in a widely publicised interview that you (Dasuki) were the major financier of the coup that brought Buhari to power in December 1983 (https://cutt.ly/jokolo). In the face of the false claim that you arrested Buhari after the IBB coup, Colonel Abdulmumini Aminu from Katsina has publicly announced that it was him, alongside others, who picked Buhari up in Dodan Barracks on that day in August 1985 (https://cutt.ly/aminu). You took no part in this. More so, at different occasions, Colonel Dangiwa Umar and Sheikh Ahmad Gummi have stated that the only offence for your illegal detention so far was due to your loyalty to President Goodluck Jonathan as his NSA (https://cutt.ly/gummi).

Their efforts could not be comparable to that showered by others on our friend, Omoyele Sowore, Publisher of SaharaReporters, who is also in illegal detention against court orders, for staging a protest tagged RevolutionNow. You will recall that even though he supported our media campaign for security service during my compulsory retirement, his news medium, SaharaReporters was nevertheless used to campaign against you and the previous administration by APC-Buhari’s elements.

On a lighter note, I have retired voluntarily from the public service on October 10 this year after the reinstatement. Meanwhile, I am yet to be paid the five years entitlement by your old friend, Information Minister, Mr. Lai Mohammed

While I commend the humility, perseverance and stoicism that you have chosen to bear your present predicament, I pray for positive development in your situation, so that you don’t spend any further stretch of time in illegal detention, going forward.

I pray that Allah continues to grant you the fortitude and grace to continue to endure the current challenges without succumbing to deep despair, till justice is achieved in your situation, within the earliest possible time.

Sincere Regards. Always.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author “An Encounter with the Spymaster”

The post Memo to Sambo Dasuki on 4th Year in Illegal Detention and More Revelations appeared first on YAShuaib.

When Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd.) was announced as a ministerial nominee, I reached out to the former Commissioner for Information and Finance in Kano State, Mallam Garba Yusuf, for an insight into the capabilities of the retired military officer.

I was aware that Magashi had led a 12-man high-powered reconciliation committee of the ruling party in the state, of which Garba Yusuf was a member, which ensured the amicable reconciliation of aggrieved politicians in the State, within the shortest possible time, before the last general elections.

Garba Yusuf said: “General Magashi, as an experienced lawyer, not only meticulously handled the delicate reconciliation process, but through his strategic interventions and guidance, the State witnessed peace and tranquillity after the elections.”

A few weeks later, Mallam Garba drew my attention to the live transmission of the ministerial screening of General Magashi on national television.

A former military governor of Sokoto State during the regime of Ibrahim Babangida and member of the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) during the Sani Abacha’s regime, General Magashi spoke eloquently and with confidence, while responding to the queries of the federal legislators.

Whilst discussing insecurity in Nigeria, Magashi insisted that infighting among Nigerian service chiefs was affecting the war against insurgency and analogous efforts against other forms of insecurity.

A former Commander of the elite Brigade of Guards in Abuja and erstwhile General Officer Commanding (GOC) the strategic 2 Mechanised Division in Ibadan, Magashi berated the non-cooperation among the service chiefs, as each of them sought to individually appear to his Commander-In-Chief, and the country, as the most conscientious in his remit. He added that the current military command structure is not a true reflection of what should be obtainable in the services and advocated for the restructuring of the armed forces.

Magashi gave an example of his experience as Commander of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) during the Liberian civil war, where he ensured cohesion of all the services maintaining peace, including the police and paramilitary agencies, at that time.

“In an ideal situation where I served as an ECOMOG commander, it was a single unit that was overseeing the needs, aspirations, (and) welfare of our troops in combat zones. In Nigeria today, what we call (the) command structure is now being seen as weakness. We only have divisions probably by name, but I do not think we have the required manpower to man them,” he said

His tour of military formations in the North-East, in his first outing as Defence Minister, was quite impressive. And, some of his statements were quite encouraging and motivational to the troops, as they inspired and admonished them to redouble their efforts in the counter-insurgency operations.

Yet, it was shocking that General Magashi, a retired military intelligence officer and a lawyer, could make a controversial statement during his tour, when he claimed that 22 local government councils in Borno State have been liberated from the grip of insurgency since the inception of President Buhari’s administration on May 29, 2015. Possibly aware of the implication of making such an unfounded claim, he refrained from mentioning the specifics of the so-called rescued local councils.

In my book “Boko Haram Media War: An Encounter with the Spymaster,” I have provided the details, timelines and manners in which more than 25 towns were liberated from the grip of terrorism during the former Goodluck Jonathan administration.

In one of the chapters, I stated that: “At the twilight of Jonathan’s administration when Sambo Dasuki was the National Security Adviser, dozens of towns and cities in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states were recovered and confirmed with video and pictorial evidence through military press releases.

“Some of the liberated towns include, but (are) not limited to: Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, Vimtim, among other communities with pictorial and video evidences provided by the Defence Headquarters.

“In one day alone, April 30, 2015, at least 234 abductees (Women and Children) were rescued by the military, who had stormed sections of the Sambisa Forest.

“A clear testimony to some of the accomplishments was the official DHQ release dated March 16, 2015, with reference No: DHQ/ABJ/901/32/DDI and titled: ‘Troops Finally Rout Terrorists from Bama and Last Stronghold in Yobe.’” That was before the coming of the present administration.

It is necessary to point to the new Defence Minister that he should always seek credible and trustworthy intelligence on the realities on the ground before making claims, and more importantly in finding a more lasting solution to the menace of Boko Haram.

The public commentary of Governor Zulum of Borno State, the open letter to President Buhari by Zanna Boguma of Borno, Alhaji Hassan Zanna and media reports on the current situation in the North-East, merely suggest the urgent need for a truly pragmatic approach to winning the war on terrorism in the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari must be commended for deploying huge resources to the security sector, which has enabled the massive recruitment of personnel, acquisition of sophisticated equipment and the upgrade of infrastructure that have been crucial requirements, even though something essential is still missing.

I strongly believe that the current service chiefs, who were top military officers in the previous Jonathan administration, know the strategies deployed between January and May 2015, in the defeat of Boko Haram and recovery of the aforementioned towns. The traditional and political leaders in that axis are also aware of this too. Not every action of the past can be jettisoned, especially when it has to do with the lives of our troops and citizens.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author of An Encounter with the Spymaster
yashuaib@yahoo.com

The post General Magashi and the National Security Agenda- By YAShuaib appeared first on YAShuaib.

NTA Video on Visit to Sambo Dasuki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uhmtbqTfNs

Surprisingly, seven days after his family denied the rumours that he was dead, some people are still calling to confirm the true story on the plight of Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd).

Early in the morning of February 23, 2019, when Nigerians go to the poll for Presidential and National Assembly Elections, I received several calls and messages from mostly Editors trying to confirm a rumour on purported death in security custody of the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki.

Dasuki has been in the custody for more than three years despite being granted bails by more than five high courts while the ECOWAS Court of Justice also ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to release him immediately from illegal detention.

He had recently berated the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari over his continued detention and disobedience to various court orders that admitted him on bails since December 2015. In a strongly worded letter dated November 12, 2018, which he personally signed and addressed to the Registrar of the Federal High Court Abuja, Dasuki had vowed to boycott any proceeding for his trial since the Federal Government had proved beyond reasonable doubt that it would not obey any order of the court even if it is in his favour.

Alarmed by some audios being spread on the social media on the rumoured death of the spymaster on the election day, I quickly called his family members including his wife and sibling for enquiry.

They expressed similar shock and that they had even received condolence messages from people on the same speculation. One of the family members also told me of their visit to Sambo Dasuki the previous night at the Department of Security Services (DSS) where he is being detained.

I put a call to the spokesperson of DSS, Mr. Peter Afunanya who told me that the ex-NSA is alive.

I was later granted approval to visit the ex-NSA that morning for confirmation.

On arrival at the DSS reception, I was a bit worried seeing a media crew from the government-owned Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), led by Talatu Ezurike at the premises of the secret service.

We were later ushered into the office of DSS spokesperson who described the news of Dasuki’s demise as fake, callous and inciting, saying: “There is no iota of truth or credibility about the rumoured death of Col. Sambo Dasuki. We make bold to state that the former NSA is very much in good health and not dead. Therefore, it behooves the general public to disbelief and condemns the atrocious online story that Dasuki has died in DSS’ custody.”

He later led us (this writer and NTA Crew) to meet the former National Security Adviser in a modest room, that looks like an office.

With a cup of tea before him, Dasuki looked relaxed and unperturbed as he welcomed us. He cracked jokes on his rumoured death.

When he noticed a Camera from NTA crew, he quickly warned against video recording of the encounter. He also said he would not grant an interview to the Television station, even though he cheerfully exchanged pleasantries and threw banters.

We chatted for a while as he expressed himself freely and courageously on how he felt about being unjustly detained after sacrifices to his fatherland.

Before we left, I suggested he should allow his photograph to be taken while he was sitting. He reluctantly agreed.

I pray that sooner than later he would be vindicated and freed from the baseless and malicious allegations against him.

We left afterward.

Since I have an agreement with DSS Spokesperson not to report our discussion, I can only confirm that Sambo Dasuki is alive, hale and hearty when we met him on that Saturday, February 23, 2019.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author, An Encounter with the Spymaster
yashuaib@yahoo.com

The post VIDEO: Sambo Dasuki is alive and hearty in Custody-YAShuaib appeared first on YAShuaib.

Dear Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd.),

As you spend your third year in illegal detention since December 2015, I am using this memo to intimate you about the brutal assassination of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Alex Badeh by gunmen along the Keffi-Abuja Highway. He was expected to open his defence next month January 16, 2019 in the trial of alleged criminal breach of trust.

You will recall your chance meeting with Badeh at the Federal High Court when you appeared to testify in Olisah Metuh’s case before Justice Okon Abang. You may also recall my exchange with the late Badeh, when I challenged him for not talking to the press about his achievements while in office. He retorted about how a section of the media had quoted him out of context and misrepresented the content of his valedictory speech, pertaining to his stewardship as Chief of Air Staff and Chief of Defence Staff, in 2015.

You may further vividly recall his statement on using the opportunity of his defence in court to provide facts, figures and material evidence on the military acquisitions, sophisticated training of troops and the success of counter-insurgency operations, as carried out during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

We sympathized with him when he bitterly lamented that his family was being humiliated and persecuted, while his assets had been confiscated, bank accounts frozen, pilot flying license blacklisted, pension blocked, and how he was being criminalized through the deliberate malicious campaign of the current government, despite his meritorious service to the nation.

Unfortunately, many Nigerians are not aware that, Badeh, a son of a peasant farmer, was commissioned a pilot in 1979 and had flown many Head of States, including former UN scribe, Kofi Annan, Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, after comprehensive checks on his competence and integrity by intelligence service agents.

As Chief of Air Staff, Badeh initiated the programme on Optimising Local Engineering (OLE) to focus on developing indigenous Unarmed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and other weapon systems for his fatherland. And, his initiatives had resulted in the first locally produced drone in Nigeria under AMEBO project, known as GULMA, which allowed the Air Force to survey and carry out attacks against criminal elements and terrorists remotely, without putting the lives of pilots at risk. He also initiated and completed the NAF hangar in Yola Airport and other infrastructure, while paying keen attention to improving staff welfare. In fact, he ensured all personnel who had kids in the Air Force primary and secondary schools got free tuitions.

As the CDS, Badeh completed the Armed Forces DNA Laboratory and constructed the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) extension complex fitted with a sophisticated joint operations room. He also established the Armed Forces Radio Broadcasting Station and Defence Space Agency (now known as the Defence Space Administration (DSA), apart from commissioning several gun boats in the Niger Delta region.

On counter-insurgency campaigns, he was one of the arrow-heads in the formation and adequate funding of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), when our neighbours were reluctant in fighting the scourge of Boko Haram. He was also instrumental in strategies of saving the lives of our pilots and preventing the crash of fighter aircrafts in the North-East, due to inexperienced pilots engaged in guerrilla warfare.

In fact, in collaboration with your office as NSA, Badeh devised the strategies of deploying the services of highly skilled and experienced foreign technical advisers who some refer to as ‘professional mercenaries’ to help with air operations, while Nigerian troops complete the ground operations in eliminating Boko Haram terrorists.

Before the handover to President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2015, there was incontrovertible evidence of several towns that had been liberated from Boko Haram terrorists, including Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, and Gwoza. Also, Hong, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, Vimtim, among others.

The late CDS Badeh was billed to open his defence on January 16, 2019 before Justice Abang, but the unfortunate swiftness of untimely death could not make this a reality. We are aware that he intended to use the occasion to list the concrete achievements of the previous administration in military acquisitions, the training of staffs, and how some top classified operations were undertaken in the national and security interests.

I am very sure the late Alex Badeh would have used the opportunity of his defence to expose the hypocrisy of the AVM Jon Ode-led Presidential Arms Panel, whose members were involved in the illegal extortion of officers under probe. It was the Department of State Security Services (DSS) that painstakingly and courageously raided the residence of a member of the same probe panel, where illegal firearms, exotic automobiles, foreign and local currencies were recovered.

Before the Jon-ode probe panel was abruptly disbanded by the government, it only succeeded in shamelessly exposing the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to public ridicule by portraying former Air Force chiefs (Umar Dikko, Badeh, Amosu etc) as being the most corrupt on the basis of frivolous and baseless allegations. In fact, AVM Alkali Mamu, who was prematurely retired on the basis of similar baseless indictments by the panel, has been vindicated by a court, with his innocence affirmed. The composition of that probe panel only served the narrow, mean and self-serving agenda of vested interests, which sought to rubbish the integrity of military and intelligence services by their assignment.

Not minding the fact that some appointments were not merited, President Buhari can be applauded for some of his foresight on sensitive assignments that require adequate intelligence gathering.. For instance, the appointment of Army Chief Gen. Tukuru Buratai, the National Security Adviser, Mohammed Monguno and anti-corruption boss, Ibrahim Magu, all from Borno State, can be considered as desirable in engaging the required intelligence people, in a State that is war-stricken by acts of terrorism. Even, though the terrorists are still operating in that axis despite these deliberate appointments, some searchlight should be beamed on the recent setback whereby several troops were ambushed and eliminated in that region.

I should not end this memo without appreciating the opportunity you gave me after I was prematurely retired from public service over my article against nepotism, when Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was Finance Minister. As the National Security Adviser, you appointed me to render services to this country as a crisis communication consultant to security agencies. Undoubtedly, the professional interventions have fetched our organisation, PRNigeria continental and global PR awards and recognition on crisis management despite lack of patronages from the current system. I will forever remain grateful for that opportunity.

Meanwhile, it may interest you to note that a short while back, an industrial court ordered my reinstatement into the service and the payment of my remuneration for the last five years while I was on malicious retirement. Surprisingly, I also recently discovered that the Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who I had initially thought was against my reinstatement, was actually the one who instructed the Ministry on several occasions since last year to obey the order of the court on my reinstatement.

I pray the larger administration of President Muhammadu Buhari would emulate Mr. Lai Mohammed in instructing your release from detention, since at least six courts of competent jurisdiction have given the orders, even though the judges have not been courageous enough to enforce their judgements.

If President Buhari could not consider your relationship with him before you joined the Jonathan administration, he should consider the situation you met on the ground when you were appointed NSA in June 2012 and what it had become by the time you left the office in July 2015 when terrorists could not disrupt the national election.

I also wish you Happy Birthday, the third in illegal detention. And a Happy New Year in advance.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author, An Encounter with the Spymaster
www.YAShuaib.com
yashuaib@yahoo.com

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“Terrorists Now Disguise as Fulani Herdsmen” – President Goodluck Jonathan June 2014

The above quote was the news headline after a speech by former President Goodluck Jonathan at an international conference on Fulani Herdsmen in Kaduna in June 2014 before they now become major kidnap kingpins.

I must admit from the onset that I would deliberately avoid discussing other bewildering developments, especially in Northern Nigeria. I won’t delve into the appointment of a retired operative of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Abubakar from Katsina who is now the Director General of the foreign secret service when a retired Director Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura also from Katsina was also appointed and currently the boss of the internal intelligence agency.

Why should I even talk of odd appointments of ghost political office holders when sometimes ago, a widow and a chartered accountant from Borno State, Mrs Maryam Danna Mohammed was unlawfully and arbitrarily removed from her position as General Manager Audit of NDPHC without any justification. The media, including Foreign Hausa Service radio stations which we learnt President Muhammadu Buhari listen to, expressed their misgivings over the plight of the innocent woman who was victimised for being a whistle-blower in the organisation. Not even a memo from Justice Minister Abubakar Malami recommending her reinstatement and campaigns by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), were enough to assuage the high and mighty on all the entreaties on the plight of the incorruptible woman.

I will also deliberately avoid discussing the mass burial we have witnessed in Northern Nigeria, when the country is not in a state of war. From the Massacres in Zaria of Shiite members to families of Farmers in Benue, Families of Herdsmen in Taraba and Plateau genocide among others.

It is, therefore wrong for anyone to claim that some of the incidents are motivated by religion, ethnicity, tribalism and elitism when we are living witnesses to the fact that Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky of Islamic Movement of Nigeria and Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser are both Muslims and Northerners, who have been in detention for more than two years against all conventional laws and court orders.

Back to the issue of Fulani Kidnappers. In the last one year, at least, the Police Spokesperson, Moshood JImoh has pushed out several press releases on the arrest of “vicious, murderous, deadly, dangerous kidnappers” where he provided the names and pictures of the suspects. The spokesperson is magnanimous in allowing journalists to interrogate the suspected kidnappers. Apart from the list mostly bearing Northern names, I won’t say Islamic, they are mostly Fulani men from their confession and accents.

The arrested Fulani criminals in their chilling and graphic confessions admitted to raping, killing and even drinking the blood of some of their victims, sometimes after collecting the ransoms.

My concerns as a Northern Muslim is how come Fulani people have now taken over the job of kidnapping which prior to the arrival of President Buhari’s administration was common with militants in the Niger Delta and occasionally armed robbers in the South-East and South-West? What influenced the Fulanis to take into this kidnapping profession? What happened to their business of husbandry/pastoral? What motivates them into killing some of their victims after collecting ransom? Where did they acquire the intimidating skill of handling sophisticated weapons? How do they get the supply of the weapons? What intoxicates them into raping their victims including pregnant women? How can all these be addressed by the people and the government?

The answers to some of the questions above can be found at the event addressed by President Goodluck Jonathan in Kaduna in June 2014. The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under Sambo Dasuki (Dasukigate?), funded and organized the International Conference on Security and Development Challenges of Pastoralism in West and Central Africa, with the theme ‘The Role of Pastoralists in Preventing Insurgency and Conflicts for Sustainable Development.’ The conference which was attended by Fulani herdsmen and policymakers from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, identified the key challenges facing herdsmen and other stakeholders, and their consequences on national security. It also encouraged synergy among stakeholders to tackle the menace of terrorism, insurgency, cattle rustling, communal clashes and other threats to national security.

As the Special Guest of Honour at the Conference, President Jonathan said terrorists and criminal elements masquerade as Fulani herdsmen in order to inflict maximum damage on the peace, stability and security of the country. Represented by his deputy Namadi Sambo, Jonathan argued that insurgents were hiding under the umbrella of herdsmen to exploit the conflict between pastoralists and farmers in Nigeria to propagate their activities.

Also speaking at the event, Sambo Dasuki as the NSA urged government at all levels, traditional rulers, mass media and other relevant institutions to work together in finding solutions to violence saying, “peaceful coexistence requires compromises.”

In his remarks, the then Speaker of the House of Representative Aminu Tambuwal commended ONSA for organising the conference and urged stakeholders to collectively find a solution to the crises which if not properly handled, could degenerate into very serious security situations in the country.

The then Agriculture Minister, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said Fulani herdsmen were facing a lot of pressure with the increase in population and desertification, adding that the increase in criminality had made livestock production a risky business. He called for regional solutions to the menace of rustling because most of the cattle raiders have the affinity with others in neighbouring countries that often ignore international boundaries.

A leader of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ahmadu Suleiman said the frequency of livestock theft was increasing. He claimed that thieves attack herders with weapons and often inflict heavy casualties on herders’ camps.

Recommendations from the conference, which was well attended by traditional rulers, service chiefs, political leaders and the diplomatic community, were forwarded to federal and state governments for action. One of the major recommendations was on the need for security agencies to be proactive in recognizing and addressing security challenges involving Fulani herdsmen and farmers to avoid the manipulation and hijacking of the situation by violent actors which could further exacerbate and worsen the conflicts. The implementation of that report could go a long way in addressing some of the challenges Nigeria faces now.

Yushau A. Shuaib, Author of An Encounter with the Spymaster
yashuaib@yahoo.com
https://yashuaib.com/

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By Yushau A. Shuaib

Dear Sambo Dasuki,

It’s exactly two years ago, in the morning of December 1, 2015, when we chatted on the phone over the security operatives that had invaded your Asokoro residence and later whisked you away as the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA). I was then in Maiduguri on an assignment.

Since that day, you have remained in detention even after being granted bails by at least four separate High Court Judges. They are, Justice Adetokunbo Ademola and Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court, as well as Justice Hussein Baba- Yusuf and Justice Peter Affen of the FCT High Courts. They had considered the merit of your applications and granted you the bails. The ECOWAS Court of Justice too had ordered for your immediate release with compensation of N15 million for the unlawful and illegal detentions without legal warrant or court orders.

From all the court proceedings so far, none of the allegations against you is treasonable, while the allegations of misappropriation of funds can only be proven in the court on whether the expenditures went through the due process of official authorisations. The charge of illegal possession of firearms, by the discovery of weapons in your residence, less than 24 hours after you left office and at a time you had military and security bodyguards, is, to say the least, laughable, and can only be interpreted as witch-hunting.

While you have never stated your side of the stories in court or anywhere else since your arrest and detention two years ago, there have been so many accusations and complete falsehood through media trials. Some baseless documents were leaked without attaching originating memos and approving authorities among others. It is pathetically appalling that your image has been tarnished through sponsored and misguided media trials. It is unfortunate that many Nigerian are not aware of your antecedents when you had proven yourself as a man of integrity during your tenure as ADC to President Ibrahim Babangida as well as Managing Director Nigeria Security, Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC). In both offices, you left honourably and on principles to protect your reputation.

While your traducers would rather taint your image by making references to the alleged misappropriation of funds during your tenure as NSA, they tirelessly worked to suppress the apparent success stories of the war-against-terrorism campaign during your tenure. They don’t want Nigerians to know that during your tenure as NSA to President Goodluck Jonathan, the brave Nigerian troops, successfully liberated and recovered over two dozens big towns from Boko Haram. Those towns included; Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, Vimtim among others.

Though some may be forgetful to realise that during your tenure as NSA, Nigeria spearheaded the formation of Multinational Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) where you sought the cooperation of reluctant neighbouring countries to join in the fight against terrorism. The taskforce has been sustained just as other initiatives and legacies you introduced and left behind in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

While I won’t like to talk about your past relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari, especially on 1983 Coup and others which I published in previous articles and my recent book “An Encounter with the Spymaster,” the toxic speculation and misleading information that you arrested Buhari in 1985 remain unabated. Even while you have denied the allegation, with principal actors including, retired Colonel Abdulmumini Aminu publicly admitting their involvement, the rumour is sustained for ulterior motives.

I cannot end this short memo without expressing my most profound appreciation for rescuing me from humiliation after I was unjustly retired by the government you served when the then Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had reported me to the Presidency for punishment over my harmless opinion article in 2013.

Not only did you attempt to bring me back into the public service which I politely rejected, you nevertheless accepted my condition to serve as a Consultant on Crisis Management to the same government.

Though we recruited a large number of young Nigerian graduates in ensuring the success of the campaigns, presently the workforce has reduced drastically due to lack of patronages from the system. We have nevertheless continued to sustain the services on pro bono basis, especially for the military, security, intelligence and response agencies.

Meanwhile, the good news today is that Justice David Isele of National Industrial Court has ordered my reinstatement into the public service and payment of all my salaries, allowances with interest in prevailing bank rate within 30 days. I am awaiting the Federal Government’s obedience to that court order.

While I still nurse the fear that you may spend another year in the unlawful detention as New Year 2018 is around the corner, I must commend your courage and doggedness during our recent chat in the court. You have said for the umpteenth time that you have no ill-feelings against your ‘good friends’ who are currently on the other side and other ‘people’ who cannot do anything in your case. You said: “In every Challenge, every temptation and every situation one finds himself, there are lessons to be learnt and to be thankful to Almighty Allah.”

May your days in court offer you with the opportunity you have craved for, to clear your name from malicious allegations and to enable you to provide concrete evidence of your stewardship as the National Security Adviser who ensured efficient inter-agency collaboration for national stability and national security.

As you remain in detention in the last two years against all legal procedures, even when you lost your father, Sultan Dasuki, I pray you stay fortified believing that God’s time is the best.
Yours Sincerely,

Yushau Shuaib
Author “An Encounter with the Spymaster”
yashuaib@yahoo.com

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Garba Shehu, Yushau Shuaib and Children at presentation of a book A Dozen Tips for Media Relations by YAShuaib in Abuja 2005

Rule of Law: Garba Shehu Goofs on Sambo Dasuki
By Yushau Shuaib

The most painful and mind boggling dilemma in issuing rebuttals is the attempt to challenge respected professional colleagues who should know the truth from fallacy. Wrong actions of current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari have compelled some of us to take the pain and risk of disproving false allegations and reckless insinuations on innocent people by those in the corridors of power.

Mallam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President on Media and Publicity is one of senior professional colleagues who positively impacted in my career by benefitting from their guidance and benevolence (https://goo.gl/RZV6j3).

Meanwhile, with due respect to my elder, I have been thoroughly embarrassed and even shocked that Mallam Garba has been misled in joining the bandwagon of those attacking former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki blindly and baselessly.

While Dasuki has remained in unlawful incarceration since 2015, the system has refused to give him the opportunity to clear his name on frivolous charges against him and occasionally prevented him from appearing in court.

In an attempt to defend the flagrant disobedience to court orders by the Buhari regime, Mallam Garba recently said that the government of Buhari is not ready to release Dasuki because according to him there “were many cases against Dasuki for which he had not been granted bail.”

Mallam Garba was further quoted to have said that “The ex-NSA’s problem is not with President Buhari who I must say has the highest regard for the rule of law. If five courts of the land are trying different cases in which a man is involved and one or two of those courts let the accused persons go home on bail, what happens with the other three cases?”

Mallam Garba should know that Sambo Dasuki was arraigned and charged on bailable offences which all the courts of competent jurisdiction have granted him bail. Since 2015, when Dasuki was arraigned before different high courts, he was granted bail by Justice Adeniyi Ademola and Justice Ahmed Rahmat Mohamed of the Federal High Court as well as Justice Peter Affen and Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Courts. The ECOWAS Court had also ordered the Federal Government to release him immediately from the unlawful custody and imposed a fine of N15,000,000 on the government but up till now, all the judgments have not been obeyed. There is currently no single court order or a legal warrant for his detention. Rule of Law indeed!

This is not the first time the respected political communicator, Mallam Garba would play to the gallery. On his assumption of office, Garba raised a similar erroneous insinuation against Sambo Dasuki on October 15, 2015, when he told the world at The Red Media Summit in Lagos on how he and others plotted to accuse Sambo Dasuki of coup plotting (Link: https://goo.gl/qqu7r9). He was quoted to have stated thus: “We agreed we were going to run a story announcing that the National Security Adviser at that time, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, was staging a second coup d’etat against Muhammadu Buhari.” As alarming as that statement was, Mallam Garba did not retract the offensive and offending statement. As a respected communicator, he should know better.

Meanwhile few year before then, Malam Garba predicted the challenges Dasuki would face as Fulani man from North-West against Kanuri people of North-East who would frustrate him. He made the assertion immediately after the appointment of Dasuki as NSA by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012. In his weekly article in Premium Times with the title “Dasuki as NSA: Issues below the Surface,” (Link: https://goo.gl/Hi3Vib) Shehu even recommended and listed some Kanuri people that should have been considered for the appointment.

Mallam Garba claimed that the appointment of Dasuki as a Northerner might produce the direct opposite result of appeasement of the region. According to him “the Boko Haram terror movement is dominated by Kanuri boys, despite the recruitment of volunteers from areas outside Borno and Yobe States. Dasuki’s appointment ignored the historical rivalries between the Kanuris and the North-west or more directly, the Fulani hegemony.”

Buhari’s spokesperson therefore asked “Can a scion of the Fulani royalty, even though a Northerner cultivate the trust and confidence of the Kanuri boys against the background of these historical rivalries? Can a Fulani Northern National Security Adviser conduct negotiations for disarmament with Boko Haram in the face of these historical rivalries? This may be Sambo Dasuki’s biggest challenge.

“Whatever theories may have developed around Sambo’s appointment, the Kanuri factor in the appeasement policy should not be ignored. No confidence building strategy can succeed which ignores the undercurrents of historical rivalries between the Kanuris and the Hausa/Fulani of the north. It is doubtful if the North-East or Borno State in particular, lacks credible retired army officers who can do the job.”

Even though, those fear of my senior brother, Mallam Garba could not be ignored, especially when Dasuki came in at a period Boko Haram members were not only terrorising the North-East but the North-Central and North-West with weekly attacks on worship centres. Nevertheless, the ex-NSA succeeded in restricting terrorists’ notoriety to the North-East before recovering more than 25 towns from the Boko Haram. In fact, the excesses of Boko Haram were curtailed to the effect that 2015 elections were peacefully held throughout the federation, including North-East where governors and legislators were elected without any hitches.

I request my senior brother, Mallam Garba to read my “Open Letter to Femi Adesina” (Link: https://goo.gl/TFdNmP) on some of the achievements of Dasuki in office and the list of over 20 towns recovered during the previous administration. I appeal to professional colleagues in government to avoid playing politics with sensitive security issues that could be misleading.

Yushau A. Shuaib
www.YAShuaib.com
yashuaib@yahoo.com
Abuja

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Preparatory to the daring and merciless military operations against Boko Haram members, top officers of security and intelligence agencies were in Lagos and Abuja, towards the end of 2014 to interact with critical stakeholders that matter in shaping public perception and opinions. The then President of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr. Femi Adesina was part of the audience.

The interactive sessions involved the display of video clips of horrific atrocities of Boko Haram terrorists against humanity. Gory scenes of brutal executions of captured intelligence officers who were accused of spying on the terrorists’ group were shown. The officers and their informants were cruelly dismembered, buried or burnt alive by the dare devil terrorists.

One of the heart-aching videos was that of a captured female intelligence operative who was “daggered” into pieces before she could plead for her life. Few months after some debriefing with the stakeholders, through miraculous strategies of operations against terrorists, positive images emerged on the gallantry of Nigerian troops. PRNigeria released some of the declassified videos on the storming of Sambisa Forest by the special forces and intelligence operatives from the air and on the ground. The original video showed hijab-dressed female intelligence operatives, guiding women and children from the air raid to safe military zone.

There were also reported cases of captured men dressed in women attire by Nigerian troops who were later discovered to be security operatives assigned to spy in terrorists’ enclaves. Strangely enough, between January to May 2015, when Sambo Dasuki was the then National Security Adviser over two dozen occupied towns were successfully recovered and liberated from Boko Haram. The towns were: Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, Vimtim among other communities.

Meanwhile, while the military and security agencies took credit for all counter-terrorism campaigns, most of the high-profile terrorists arrested, especially at the borders and across the borders were facilitated by the intelligence service. The service also facilitated the participations of reluctant neighbours in Multi-National Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) and other special forces for the success of operations.

Recently too, when 21 Chibok girls were freed by Boko Haram in October 2016, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo publicly disclosed that there was no exchange of detained members of the Boko Haram sect for the girls. The Information Minister, Lai Mohammed also strongly denied the report that Nigerian government paid a robust ransom for their release. Since no one knows what influenced the ‘Father Christmas’ gesture of Boko Haram leaders in releasing the girls which even took a section of the military by surprise, it is purely exceptional intelligence operations.

This writer has deliberately avoided mentioning any of Nigeria’s secret organisations on the above operations. The recent exposure of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to disrepute after the discovery of cash haul in an Ikoyi Apartment is a sad commentary to the one of the most organised, fine and respected intelligence organisations in Africa. Not only has the scandal damaged the integrity of the agency, it further exposed the Nigeria’s intelligence community to global ridicule.

It is necessary to point out that in security circle, a black budget is allocated for classified and other covert operations of a nation which can be expended under different covers and through different channels including funding of NGOs, Cultural groups, religious organisations, corporations, private firms and on most occasions through cash that could not be traced. Consciously and unconsciously patriotic and innocent citizens have supported or carried out intelligence activities without being identified with the secret service.

The instrument relating to the establishment, structure and duties of the National Intelligence Agency, especially under the National Security Agencies Act 1986 (Cap 278LFN), clearly states that “The accounts of the National Intelligence Agency shall not be subject to external audit but the Director General shall by first week of March each year, render to the President… certificate showing the total expended during the preceding period and the under which the expenditure was made and copy the National Security Adviser.”

Similarly, there are repeated keywords on NIA’s mandates which include: National Security, National Interest, employing covert sources, using the cover of government or private concerns; conduct espionage, covert operations, and counter intelligence activities.

Even though there are declared staff who are authorised to disclose their identities, most intelligence operatives are undeclared and barred from disclosing their identities but only to close family members and associates. While some live in opulence for covert assignments, others act beggarly and pretend to be poor in sensitive terrains.

The intelligence agencies allow other sister agencies take the credit for successful operations. Most of the arrested terrorists’ commanders especially at the borders and across the borders were facilitated by the intelligence service.

The scandal over N15 billion recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at Osborne Street, Ikoyi, Lagos is quite embarrassing because the Director General of NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke has claimed that the fund belonged to the agency.

The incident is coming at a period of an intense inter-agency rivalry where security agencies were allegedly reported to be behind the leakages of classified and confidential information to smear their perceived oppositions within the same government.

The above scenario is again playing out here. Now that NIA has laid claim to the amount found in Ikoyi apartment, does it mean the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) was misled? Is the mysterious whistle-blower a character in the inter-agency rivalry? Or is it another counter-intelligence by another foreign secret service against Nigeria?

In a December 2016’s article by this writer on Magu’s EFCC: Between Suspects and Victims
(https://yashuaib.com/blogs/magu-efcc-suspects-victims/) I warned that “President Buhari should ensure that the brewing inter-agency conflict among critical institutions should be urgently addressed. For instance, if the EFCC should attempt to retaliate against the report of DSS, the result will not only be dirty but likely to compromise national security.”

While the EFCC publicized the discovery, it has totally failed to disclose the owner. Even the vibrant spokesperson of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren had to put off his mobile phone for almost 72 hours during the fracas.

With all fingers pointing to the fact that the money belongs to NIA, the burden of proof is who is the mysterious whistle-blower? Could the whistle-blower have acted on behalf of an agency engaged in the rivalry or was it as major counter-intelligence operation by foreign interests to expose and embarrass our intelligence network?

There are many ways of removing public officers but such attempts should not be done by rubbishing the integrity of public institutions they represent, especially in Nigeria’s security architecture.

I strongly believe at this critical period and with the unabated inter-agency rivalries and the incidence of leakages of classified information by some agencies of government, the current National Security Adviser, General Babagana Monguno should be wary of these developments. Though a gentleman, he needs to be more pragmatic, charismatic, assertive and decisive in dealing with erring agencies.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Publisher of PRNigeria, a global award winner in Crisis Communication
www.YAShuaib.com
yashuaib@yahoo.com

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