The Director General National Taskforce for the Prohibition of Illegal Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapon, Chemical Weapon and Pipeline Vandalism (NATFORCE), Chief Osita Okereke, has decried the alleged arrest and intimidation of its officials by operatives of the Department of Security Services (DSS).
Speaking at a press briefing on activities of the taskforce, Friday in Abuja, Okereke called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and prevail on the DSS and its lawyer Barrister Yahaya Olafawanju to desist from arresting and intimidating its personnel nationwide.
The director general decried the fact that NATFORCE officials were being arrested despite the fact that the matter was already before the courts of competent jurisdiction in Kogi, Cross River and Benue states.
He gave the various suit numbers: HCL/M87/2019, in Kogi state, HC/MSC/175/2013, in Cross River and MHC/845M/2015 all between NATFORCE and the DSS.
According to Okereke, “They arrested our staff and label them as terrorists. On October 4, 2019, the DSS carted away our property in Kogi state and arrested our staff in the process.
“We are using this opportunity to appeal to Mr. President and the Director DSS, to call their men to order as we are law abiding citizens of this country. We are not and can never be a threat to national security.
“DSS operatives have violently and consistently raided our offices in Kogi, Cross River, Benue, among others intimidating and humiliating our personnel despite the fact that the matter is before courts of competent jurisdiction.
“They should stop invading our offices because we are not criminals. Security challenges in this country are too enormous for any security outfit to handle alone. What we need is synergy and inter agency cooperation of other sister agencies in order to tackle the menace.
“Witch-hunting and harassment of NATFORCE can never be the way to go. We are peace loving people and not trouble makers.”
