Despite Confirmation By PDP, Akwa Ibom Governor Denies SSS Invasion

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, Friday denied the reported invasion of his official residence, known as Hilltop Mansion, by operatives of the State Security Service.

The governor, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES through his Chief Press Secretary, Ekerete Udo, said the reported raid on the Government House, Uyo, is a “manufactured lie”.....


“My brother, that is a manufactured lie that I am not even aware of,” Mr. Udoh said in a response to a telephone enquiry.

When it was explained to him that the call was initiated to get confirmation of the state government following the statement by the Ekiti State governor on the issue, Mr. Udoh insisted he was not aware of any such incident.

“I will have to call you back. I am in a middle of something here,” he said.

But hours after he promised to return the call, there was no word from the governor’s official spokesperson.

The denial by the governor came despite the confirmation of the incident by two top leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively reported on how DSS operatives raided the Government House Uyo, Thursday and uncovered “incriminating materials”.
The operation was jointly carried out by operatives from the SSS headquarters in Abuja and a detachment from Uyo, based on a tip off.

The PDP’s Acting Chairman, Uche Secondus, in a statement had raised the alarm and described the invasion as a civilian coup d’état.

Mr. Secondus said the action is part of the strategy of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the Muhammadu Buhari-led government to forcefully take some states won by the opposition PDP.

On his part, the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, called for the immediate sack of the Director General of the DSS, Lawal Daura, who he blamed for the invasion.

Mr. Fayose said armed men from the Special Squad of the SSS invaded the Presidential Wing of the Government House, Uyo, in a commando style, ransacked it, intimidated and harassed the occupants, claiming that they were searching for bomb and documents.

While wondering when Akwa Ibom State Government House became a bomb-making factory, Mr. Fayose said he was shocked that men of the SSS were overzealously looking for bomb in Akwa Ibom instead of the Boko Haram-ravaged North East Nigeria.

“From the barbaric act of the DSS yesterday and other actions of Security Service under Alhaji Lawal Daura in the last few weeks, one can conclude that Daura is taking Nigeria back to the 1984 era of General Mohammadu Buhari and this is unfortunate,” Mr. Fayose said.

“No doubt, the Director General (DG) DSS, Lawal Daura is acting out a sinister script of taking over Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled States in the South-South and South East by whatever means,” Mr. Fayose said