President Muhammadu Buhari has formally restricted officers of the Department of State Service (DSS) from several areas of the Presidential Villa Abuja, replacing them with military men.
It was earlier reported that President Buhari had ordered the expulsion of DSS officials from the villa.
According to Vanguard, President Buhari’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC) Lt. Col. Abubakar Lawal sent a memo to DSS officials telling them that they would no longer be needed to provide close body protection for the President as they are to be replaced with Nigerian Army and Police personnel “who were trained as Presidential Bodyguards.”
Lawal, who stated that he was acting “sequel to directives” listed seven areas which the DSS would no longer be permitted to operate. The places include: the Admin reception/passage; Service Chiefs gate; residence reception, office reception among others.
Lawal, however said that the “personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security forces are to man other duty beats/locations within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa.”
It was also noted that as at Thursday, June 25, 2015, no DSS official was sighted at the Adminitsration reception gate to the council chambers gate, as they had been replaced by men of the Nigerian Army dressed in mufti.
Within the office and residence of the President, there was no DSS presence, but have also been replaced by mufti-clad Army personnel.
