March 24, 2010
In a move reminiscent of the dark days of the bespectacled dictator General Sani Abacha, the Nigerian State Security Service has shown that the government may be democratic, but it shares no intent in adhering to the rule of law and democratic norms in the conduct of its affairs. Its serial excesses and regular abuses of power have become more evident in the current democratic dispensation where inquisitive and forthright Nigerians are invited to its offices and held without trial or charge, hounded into exile abroad or coerced into making confessions gleaned under suspicious circumstances.
At least in the times of General Sani Abacha, Nigeria knew whose bidding and instructions the Gestapo-like agency was following, in recent times however, the S.S.S has become an organization for hire, by political office holders and their associates seeking to intimidate members of the opposition, the inquisitive Nigerian public or agents of positive change in the country.
In its most recent transgression and trampling of the rights of a Nigerian citizen, a confidential source and avid contributor into some of the most notorious breaches of public trust in corporate finance and political Nigeria, was “invited” by the State Security Service on Monday in order to answer certain questions pertaining to an investigation which they believed involved this said individual in one way or the other. The said source assured that he had nothing to hide and believing that his rights were guaranteed under a democratic government in Nigeria, presented himself at the Lagos offices of the State Security Service for their so-called “invitation”. Currently, it is more than 48 hours past the legally acceptable limit to hold a person without charge and this individual has not been seen or heard from since then. With this lack of communication, we can only assume he is either being tortured , held without trial or has since been assassinated since he has not been brought before a competent body of law or spoken to Nigerian agents of free speech here in the diaspora.
Calls I have personally made to the Nigerian Embassy in France and associated agencies in Nigeria have since gone without answer or answers of the “no comment” variation. Independent emails and telephone calls I have however received from sources in intelligence services who do not wished to be named for fear of reprisal say the abduction of this individual is related to the affairs of the current Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and one of his mistresses who happens to be a married woman and a high-flying executive in Mobil as well as a wife of one of his ardent supporters. My source's abduction is said to be because he is believed to have information the Governor's mistress and for fear of the revelations that might follow, certain individuals have hijacked the State Security Service for personal purposes and a vendetta to seek out those that might be involved in exposing any of their secrets.
The State Security Service is a body which should otherwise be beholden to the Government of the Nation and the people of Nigeria, while governments like that of the United States engage in rendition of terrorists to foreign nations to elicit lifesaving information, the S.S.S has developed a specialty of kidnapping Nigerian citizens in their own country under the guise of “invitations” to their offices in order to score political points.
I am unaware that my source possesses any such information concerning the Rivers State Governor and his mistress. I think it would be in the best interests of those involved in this shady matter to reveal what they have done with him under the current circumstances. While the nation is preoccupied with the evolving political situation in the country and the direction of the government under the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, those under his employ are forgoing their job descriptions and abusing the responsibilities of state in order to carry out personal vendettas sponsored by those who feel they have political might and without the Acting President's knowledge.
Tony Eze was last seen by those who know him on Monday the 20th of March headed to the offices of the State Security Service in Lagos to respond to their “invitation”. Anyone with information on what has happened to him since then should please contact Sahara Reporters via listed email addresses or other means. I can also be reached as well either directly or through my associates. I plead with all well-meaning Nigerians at home and those in diaspora to use all means of information at their disposal in finding out what happened to this individual. We cannot continue to protest the murder of our citizens abroad with a clear conscience when arms of our own Government and their political handlers are kidnapping back home individuals.
Dayo Coker
At least in the times of General Sani Abacha, Nigeria knew whose bidding and instructions the Gestapo-like agency was following, in recent times however, the S.S.S has become an organization for hire, by political office holders and their associates seeking to intimidate members of the opposition, the inquisitive Nigerian public or agents of positive change in the country.
In its most recent transgression and trampling of the rights of a Nigerian citizen, a confidential source and avid contributor into some of the most notorious breaches of public trust in corporate finance and political Nigeria, was “invited” by the State Security Service on Monday in order to answer certain questions pertaining to an investigation which they believed involved this said individual in one way or the other. The said source assured that he had nothing to hide and believing that his rights were guaranteed under a democratic government in Nigeria, presented himself at the Lagos offices of the State Security Service for their so-called “invitation”. Currently, it is more than 48 hours past the legally acceptable limit to hold a person without charge and this individual has not been seen or heard from since then. With this lack of communication, we can only assume he is either being tortured , held without trial or has since been assassinated since he has not been brought before a competent body of law or spoken to Nigerian agents of free speech here in the diaspora.
Calls I have personally made to the Nigerian Embassy in France and associated agencies in Nigeria have since gone without answer or answers of the “no comment” variation. Independent emails and telephone calls I have however received from sources in intelligence services who do not wished to be named for fear of reprisal say the abduction of this individual is related to the affairs of the current Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and one of his mistresses who happens to be a married woman and a high-flying executive in Mobil as well as a wife of one of his ardent supporters. My source's abduction is said to be because he is believed to have information the Governor's mistress and for fear of the revelations that might follow, certain individuals have hijacked the State Security Service for personal purposes and a vendetta to seek out those that might be involved in exposing any of their secrets.
The State Security Service is a body which should otherwise be beholden to the Government of the Nation and the people of Nigeria, while governments like that of the United States engage in rendition of terrorists to foreign nations to elicit lifesaving information, the S.S.S has developed a specialty of kidnapping Nigerian citizens in their own country under the guise of “invitations” to their offices in order to score political points.
I am unaware that my source possesses any such information concerning the Rivers State Governor and his mistress. I think it would be in the best interests of those involved in this shady matter to reveal what they have done with him under the current circumstances. While the nation is preoccupied with the evolving political situation in the country and the direction of the government under the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, those under his employ are forgoing their job descriptions and abusing the responsibilities of state in order to carry out personal vendettas sponsored by those who feel they have political might and without the Acting President's knowledge.
Tony Eze was last seen by those who know him on Monday the 20th of March headed to the offices of the State Security Service in Lagos to respond to their “invitation”. Anyone with information on what has happened to him since then should please contact Sahara Reporters via listed email addresses or other means. I can also be reached as well either directly or through my associates. I plead with all well-meaning Nigerians at home and those in diaspora to use all means of information at their disposal in finding out what happened to this individual. We cannot continue to protest the murder of our citizens abroad with a clear conscience when arms of our own Government and their political handlers are kidnapping back home individuals.
Dayo Coker
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