Aso Rock Authorities Send Home 253 DSS Operatives

The Aso Rock villa authorities have denied 253 Department of State Services (DSS) security personnel deployed to protect the presidency as it’s not exactly decided on the shape security around President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The DSS operatives were transferred from several areas of the country to work with the presidency.

According to their redeployment signs that originated from the service’s National Headquarters, the officers were directed to report at the Presidential Villa last week Monday.

Meanwhile, the officials, armed with signals showing definitely where they would man in the Presidential Villa, were turned back on arrival.

They were said to have been focused to enable that they return to their respective former duty positions across Nigeria the following day (last week Tuesday).

One of the affected DSS operatives, who was redeployed from one of the states in the South-West, complained that all of them were left to their fate without any transfer allowance. He said only one of them wasn’t rejected.

He said: “The about 253 of us were redeployed from commands from across the country to the State House, Abuja. Our signals, which were sent from the headquarters, showed specifically where we are expected to work in the Presidential Villa.

“Some of us were asked to report to the Vice President’s office, some were attached to the President’s wife while some others were attached to the Vice President’s wife among other beats in the Villa.

“We were however turned back and were asked to resume back at our former duty posts the following day or risk sanction.”

On her own turn Marilyn Ogar, the DSS Deputy Director, Public Relations, said she could not comment on the issue.

“I don’t have such information and I cannot comment on it please,” she noted.

President Buhari has since the inauguration been operating formally from the Defence House, and sleeps in one of his private residences in Aso Drive, Abuja, drawing complaints from several staff at Aso Rock, who say Buhari’s denial to move into the villa was slowing down the business of governance.

There were reports that there is current inter-agency cold war on who will be in charge of the president’s security.