Terrorism: CSOs Allege Harassment by DSS for Exposing Plot to Frame Emefiele

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Coalition of National Interest Defenders (CNID), the umbrella body of the various groups of civil society organisations that exposed the alleged  plot by the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to frame the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, for terrorism financing, has raised the alarm that the lives of their members are in danger.

The group’s Convener, Mr. Tochukwu Ohazuruike, expressed the fears in a statement made available to THISDAY in Abuja on Wednesday.

Tochukwu alleged that the DG DSS had declared war on his members for exposing the plot.

Part of the statement read: “The DSS DG has declared war on our members for daring to expose the plot. 

“He has arrested a member of our leadership, Meliga Godwin, who was beaten and handcuffed in his home like a common criminal before being dragged away.

“Reports of strange visits to the homes of other members of our leadership have also been reported and this is becoming worrisome.”

Ohazuruike declared that he will be returning to Abuja Wednesday (today) as the group leaders were not on the run having not committed any crime known to law.

He said: “You can all remember that even at our exposure press conference, we informed the world that it was likely that we would be targets of attack by the DG SSS and we are not surprised of what is happening now. 

“We have not committed any known crime so the worst he can do is to threaten, intimidate, harass, detain us beat us, injure us but he should know that we know that patriotism comes with a price and citizens from time immemorial have paid such prices. 

“We would only remind the DG DSS that those who punished patriotic citizens always ended up paying worse prices.”