Less than 24 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in as the 16th leader of Nigeria, the State Security Services (SSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reportedly clashed over the occupation of their Lagos office. According to PRNigeria, the SSS laid siege to the EFCC’s office, denying its operatives entry into the facility located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi.
The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, described the action of the SSS as “shocking” and noted that both agencies had cohabited harmoniously in the same building for over twenty years. He went on to state that the SSS’ siege disrupted the Commission’s operations in its largest hub with over 500 personnel, hundreds of exhibits, and many suspects in detention.
Uwajaren raised an alarm that cases scheduled for court hearing were aborted, and many suspects who had been invited for questioning were left unattended. The situation was dire for the suspects in detention as they were left without care, which had grave implications for their rights as inmates. Uwajaren concluded that the occupation of the building was inconsistent with the synergy expected of agencies working for the same government and nation.
On the other hand, the DSS debunked the EFCC’s assertion that both agencies had been working together in the same building for over twenty years. The spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, stated that the DSS only occupied its official and statutory facility and had not barricaded the EFCC from entering its office.
In a statement obtained by PRNigeria, Afunanya emphasized that there was no controversy over the ownership of the building. He stated that Awolowo Road was the National Security Organisation headquarters, and the DSS started from the same building.
He urged the media not to create imaginary rivalries, stressing that both agencies were partners working for the good of the nation. Afunanya concluded that there was no rivalry between the DSS and the EFCC over any property in Lagos.
This clash marks the latest episode in the fight for supremacy among different security agencies in the country. It is hoped that the authorities will take measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future, as they have the potential to undermine the government’s fight against economic and financial crimes in the country.
