A combined team of the Police and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) have reportedly arrested and detained the sacked Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura just shortly after he was sacked by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo for breaching national security. The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, had, earlier on, directed the immediate termination of the appointment of Daura with immediate effect following the invasion of the National Assembly chambers by masked men of the DSS.

A statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, in Abuja, Tuesday, stated that Mr. Daura has been directed to hand over to the most senior officer of the State Security Service until further notice. Osinbajo had condemned the invasion of the National Assembly by security operatives from the Department of State Services, DSS and the Police without authorization from the presidency.

Osinbajo had summoned Daura alongside Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, over the siege laid to the national assembly earlier in the day. The two security chiefs arrived Aso Rock at different times. While Idris got to the presidential villa at 12;35pm, Daura got there at 1:15pm. After briefing Osinbajo, the former DSS DG was whisked away. State house correspondents who were waiting to speak with the security chiefs did not know that Daura had been taken away through another exit.

A DSS operative had earlier said that the invasion of the National Assembly was an ‘Order from above’ and while APC lawmakers were granted access into NASS, PDP members were denied access. The clerk to the National Assembly has equally denied access to the chambers by the DSS operatives. Both Journalists and National Assembly staff were also barred from entering the complexes. The camera and phone of a journalist covering NASS were seized by the DSS who were very hostile to the newsmen.

The invasion followed the emergency meeting summoned by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki yesterday to discuss issues which included the string of defections in the political space, rumoured plan to impeach the Senate President and the pending 2019 elections supplementary budget, among others. Recall however, that the presidency had raised the alarm yesterday over the scheduled emergency Senate meeting today which was to have in attendance, the House of Representatives’ Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara as well as other lawmakers. The presidency had claimed that the meeting was being aimed at shutting down the entire government of President Muhammadu Buhari.