Protesters under the aegis of APC Akida Forum on Tuesday stormed the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja, urging them to protect the integrity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and that of security agencies, especially, the intelligence community.
The group which dropped their petition at the DSS office, demanded for a thorough investigation into the menace of banditry in Zamfara state.
The protesters led by the Chairman of APC Akida Forum (AAF), Mallam Musa Mahmud, were already at the DSS headquarters at 9.30am where they dropped a petition which was received by a senior official of the secret police.
Part of the the petition read: “We are the APC Akida Forum, a socio-political pressure group headquartered in Kaduna state.
“We write to bring to your attention an urgent national concern affecting millions of Nigerians’ lives. The APC Akida Forum is seriously concerned by the allegations made by the current Governor of Zamfara state, Dauda Lawal, against his predecessor.
“A series of interviews granted on national television have gone viral. In these interviews, the Zamfara state governor, Dauda Lawal, raised grave concerns about inherited issues upon assuming office.
“We consider it our responsibility as loyal party members to seek a thorough investigation into the serious claims to uphold the integrity of our party and our esteemed leader, the President. Failing to address these issues could hurt our party and the reputation of relevant security agencies.
“We want to emphasise that the issues here are not just political problems. They encompass matters of life and death, economic survival, and the fundamental human rights of the citizens of Zamfara state, the North West, and Nigeria as a whole.
“Hence, we send this appeal to the Department of State Services (DSS) because Nigerians have faith in the institution as a gatekeeper.
“We, as loyal party members, must be concerned about these issues. Serious challenges and campaigns are underway across the country, targeting the hard-earned reputation of our leader, the President.
“The APC Akida Forum (AAF) believes that where there is smoke, there is fire. To uphold transparency and fairness, we strongly urge Bello Matawalle to step down from his position and subject himself to a thorough investigation”.
