Government comes and government goes. Politician comes and politician goes. But public institutions remain with us. It is the more reason why we must strive to strengthen them and make them stronger than any individual. Painfully, rather for us to strengthen our institutions and make them strong, we build men. We build men that become stronger than our institutions and abuse them whenever they want to protect their interests and that of their loved ones. Corruption and weak institutions are parts of the challenges facing our nation today and are responsible for many of other challenges. No nation can strive where this duo exists. If Sambo Dasuki was not stronger than the Department of State Services, he would not have been able to resist its operatives for hours.
Who is Sambo Dasuki
Sambo Mohammed Dasuki is from a royal family in Sokoto State. He is the son of the former Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmed Dasuki, who was deposed by the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha. Sambo Dasuki, as he is popularly called, is a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army and the former National Security Adviser to the President of Nigeria. He was appointed NSA by former President Goodluck Jonathan on June 22, 2012, following the removal of General Owoye Andrew Azazi and was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 13, 2015.
Sambo Dasuki (then a Major) and military assistant to General Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi participated in the military coup d’état that installed Major General Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s Head of State.
Sambo Dasuki was also among the four Majors (Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, Lawan Gwadabe, and Abdulmumini Aminu) who arrested the Nigerian Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari in the 1985 palace coup led by Major General Ibrahim Babangida. Following the successful execution of the coup, he was made Aide-de-camp to General Ibrahim Babangida.
Dasuki’s standoff with DSS
A fierce standoff occurred on the evening of Thursday through the early hours of Friday (July 16 and 17, 2015) between the operatives of the DSS and Dasuki, with the former NSA holed up in his home at 13, John Khadiya Street, Asokoro, Abuja.
The operatives of the DSS were supposed to conduct a simple search operation on three of his properties. Two in Abuja at 13, John Khadya Street and 46, Nelson Mandela Street, both at Asokoro, and the third one at 3, Sabon Birni Road, Gwiwa Area, Sokoto, Sokoto State. The search operations were planned to be simultaneously conducted, but he reportedly refused the DSS entry into his main residence at 13, John Khadya Street, Asokoro, despite being presented with a genuine, legitimate and duly signed search warrant from a Magistrate Court.
There was no reason why he should have turned that down a search warrant! That was lawlessness. There was a court order but Dasuki disregarded it. It is a contempt of court and should be treated as such accordingly.
Instead of him to honourably honour the search warrant and allow the operatives to do their job, he resisted them throughout Thursday evening using his military aides. Had the operatives of the DSS not shown professionalism in handling the impunity displayed by Dasuki and his men, it would have resulted in a bloody clash between the DSS and Dasuki`s military aides. And by now, the story would have been different.
If Dasuki could forcefully resist a search warrant, I wonder what he could have done if it was an arrest warrant?
Now goes the question: why was Dasuki still having military aides, not one, not two, but more, after he has been sacked? The last time I checked, he was no longer holding any public office that makes him deserve military aides. Logically, those aides should have been withdrawn the minute he was sacked. But you see, sometimes in Nigeria, logic seems scarce. That was why I was not surprised when I read he was with military aides. Like I won`t be surprised if I hear that a former Local Government Chairman has a military guard.
Items seized from Dasuki’s properties search
Consequently, due to the lawlessness displayed by the former NSA and his military aides, a search that was scheduled to last for just about two hours lasted for more than 10 hours. This was from about 16:50 hours on July 16, 2015 when they arrived at his premises at 13, John Khadiya Street, Asokoro, Abuja till the early hours of July 17, 2015.
As a result of the search, the following items were seized according to the DSS: “Seven (7) high caliber rifles, (high assault weapons), several magazines and military related gears. The team also recovered twelve (12) new vehicles, out of which five (5) were bullet proofs. These vehicles which are all exotic vehicles were retrieved from SAMBO’s residence having failed to produce evidence of ownership.”
Is Dasuki being witch-hunted?
The answer is No!
Some argue that Dasuki was sacked on Monday, by Wednesday a search warrant was already secured to search his house for illegal weapons and incriminating items and by Thursday his house was already besieged. Hence, he was just being witch-hunted. But I ask: witch-hunted for what? The DSS could not have risked wasting time on carrying out such a sensitive operation knowing the magnitude of the intelligence report available. As there are said to be ‘credible intelligence’ linking him with “alleged plans to commit treasonable felony against the Nigerian state”. If there was nothing he was hiding, he would have honourably honoured the search warrant and allowed the DSS to do their job.
The refusal for Dasuki to immediately honour the search warrant confirms the intelligence report available to have some element of credibility.
So why was Dasuki not arrested?
I know if Dasuki was an ordinary Nigerian and he resisted a search warrant, the story would have been different. He would have been arrested and detained for obstructing a legitimate process approved by a Magistrate court.
Meanwhile, Dasuki didn`t just resist a search warrant, he intentionally delayed, obstructed the DSS operatives in the course of performing their duties. Hence flouted the law and should have been arrested for that.
Secondly, Dasuki should have been arrested for harbouring “Seven (7) high caliber rifles, (high assault weapons)”. What on earth does he need that for?
Additionally, he should have been arrested for initiating a standoff between his military guards and the operatives of the DSS.
The rule of law must prevail and no one should be seen to be greater or more powerful than the laws. Whatsoever the law cannot tolerate from an ordinary Nigerian, it must not tolerate from any other class no matter his or her status.
This is why the continuous call to strengthen our institutions cannot be overemphasized; we must start by building values, structures, and processes. With these three elements in place, no individual will be placed above the law. Government will function optimally and accountability will be made easy.
God Bless Nigeria.
Ogundana Michael Rotimi is a Nigerian biochemist, socio-economic and political commentator and public speaker. He tweets at: @MickeySunny.