Drama at DSS as Marilyn Ogar is transferred to Maiduguri, then recalled

The changes at the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria’s secret
police, entered another phase during the week with new postings and a
series of reversals.
TheCable understands that Marilyn Ogar, who was until recently DSS deputy
director, public relations, has been transferred to Maiduguri, Borno state,
but the posting has now been put on hold following insinuations that it was
“punitive”.
Ogar, as spokesperson, was responsible for defending the activities of the
agency in the media and she is believed to be paying for some of her
pronouncements, notably in the face-off
with the Bring Back Our Girls
movement and the DSS raids on the Lagos office of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) last year.
She has already lost her promotion following the nullification of the recent
exercise.
“Right now, she is just hanging around in Abuja awaiting the next order,” a
source at the agency informed TheCable.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently appointed Lawal Musa Daura as the
acting DSS director-general following the resignation of Ita Ekpenyong,
who was reportedly asked to go because of the “partisanship” of the
agency under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
About 45 new state directors who were promoted under Jonathan have
lost their new ranks as their promotions have been reversed.
Buhari refused to swear them in last Thursday, an indication that the
promotion exercise had been annulled.
Daura has also ordered the sack of fresh graduates who were
recently employed after an eight-month training.
TheCable understands that Daura has been mandated to probe the tenure
of his predecessor. An official from the office of the secretary to the
government of the federation (SGF) has been pencilled down to do the
job.
The official, from Katsina state, is expected to be appointed as the new
director of finance, taking over from an operative from Plateau state who
was only appointed recently.
“Daura’s mandate is to probe Ekpenyong, but it is not looking bright
because some of the allegations being examined are difficult to prove. It
has now been established that the raids on APC office in Lagos
were based on a tip-off by an APC member. This has complicated
matters,” the source added.
DSS had raided the office on the allegation that the voters’ biometric
cards were being illegally produced there, a move that generated public
outrage. The agency did not charge any suspect to court.
Some top DSS operatives, meanwhile, are beginning to question the
capacity of the new DG to pilot the affairs of the agency.
One of them told TheCable: “Daura was informed about the attack in Kano
way before it happened. He refused to release money or approve the
operations until bombs went off in three states.
“His records show that he was at the very bottom of his class, and during
his service years, his file was filled with a lot of queries that should
ordinarily disqualify him from the job. There are a lot
of competent northern officers who can lead the DSS. Daura is not one of
them.”
The reorganisation exercise is expected to continue as new governments
usually fill strategic positions at the agency with loyalists.

Source : TheCable