SSS Storms Nasir El Rufai's Residence

Operatives of the State Security Service on Friday stormed the  Maitama,Abuja residence of a former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.

The operatives arrested the former minister’s guards when their bid to arrest him for making inflammatory statements on 2015 elections failed.

The operatives visited the Mambialla Street mansion twice in a Toyota Hilux vehicle around 12 pm, but were denied entry by the security guards at the gate.

Unable to apprehend their target, the security personnel headed to the residence of one of his wives at 50, Madeira Street off Yedsteram Street, after farmers’ market,  Maitama, and arrested three security guards around 7pm.

It was learnt that the SSS operatives whisked away the hapless guards when they could not arrest their prey.

Our correspondent, who visited the Mambilla Street residence  of the former minister, gathered that the guards locked the gate and refused to allow the SSS operatives access to the residence to arrest their boss.

The security operatives who were frustrated by the guards’ action, threatened to arrest them and left after spending about ten minutes.

The head of the security guards at El-Rufai’s residence, Gregory Bassa, told our correspondent that the SSS personnel initially pretended to be visitors and asked after their boss, but were informed that he was not available.

He said, “They (SSS operatives) left, but after about an hour or so, they came back and demanded to enter the compound. I didn’t even know they were security men until I saw their guns. They demanded to know oga’s whereabouts and the last time I saw him.

“One of them attempted to open the gate and when he saw that it was locked, he threatened to break the padlock. He collected my two phones and they said they would come back and arrest us (security guards) when next they come back. I demanded for my phones and told them I was a retired military officer, so they returned the phones and left.”

The service had on Thursday summoned the stalwart of the All Progressives Congress to  appear at its headquarters on Friday  for saying there would be violence in the 2015 elections and that “the only way to take power is by force.”

El-Rufai did not however honour the invitation, saying the agency should rather produce a warrant of arrest or meet him at his office.

His Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a statement said the assault on El-Rufai’s house “continues a sorry tradition of serial violation of his rights by the SSS which has arrested him at airports and hotels.”

He said, “The most recent was the action of the SSS in violating his right to freedom of movement in Awka during the Anambra elections. Without any just cause or formal charge, the Directorate of State Security Services had unlawfully detained El Rufai, the Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress at the premises of Finotel Hotel, Awka, Anambra State, from the 15th day of November, 2013 to the 16th day of November, 2013.”