Article Summary
- President Tinubu, while instructing the DSS to immediately vacate the disputed premises, noted that any disagreement between the agencies of government should be amicably resolved.
- The president gave the directive after a report of the dispute was brought to his attention.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) to immediately vacate the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office at Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The directive of President Tinubu follows the pandemonium that broke out within the vicinity of the EFCC office when men of the DSS reportedly barricaded access into the office area over alleged ownership claims of the building in question by the 2 federal government agencies.
This disclosure is contained in a statement issued by the President’s media aide, Tunde Rahman, on Tuesday at the presidential villa, Abuja, where he stated that Tinubu instructed the DSS to immediately vacate the disputed premises, noting any disagreement between the agencies of government should be amicably resolved.
The President’s directive
The statement reads,
- “President Bola Tinubu has directed the Department of State Security Service to immediately vacate the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ikoyi, Lagos.
- “The President gave the directive when reports that DSS officials stormed the EFCC office located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on Tuesday, preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from accessing their workplace, was brought to his attention.
- “The President said if there were issues between the two important agencies of government, they would be resolved amicably.’’
In case you missed it
- Nairametrics had earlier reported that operatives of the DSS had on Tuesday morning, May 30, stormed the Lagos office of the EFCC, claiming ownership of the building located at No 15A Awolowo road, Ikoyi, Lagos and preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from gaining access to the office.
- There had been reports of disagreement and ongoing rivalry between the DSS and the EFCC over the ownership of the building.
- Some sources said the DSS operatives moved into the premises to prevent the EFCC officials from gaining access when they reported for work.
- However, the DSS in its reaction to the development said that it was not correct that they barricaded the EFCC from entering its office, insisting that it was only occupying its own facility where it was carrying out its official and statutory responsibility.
- Meanwhile, the EFCC in its own reaction described the siege as shocking, noting that the commission has cohabited with the DSS on that facility for 20 years without any dispute.
