By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport was the scene of a power show on Sunday, January 8. The dramatis personae were Aisha Bichi, wife of the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Abba Yusuf, the Kano governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
According to an online newspaper, Daily Nigerian, Aisha Bichi barred the NNPP governorship candidate from boarding an Air Peace flight from Kano to Abuja on Sunday night because his supporters obstructed traffic and kept her stranded at the gate of the airport.
The newspaper reported that her DSS security aides then descended on those obstructing the traffic by beating them up.
The NNPP governorship candidate reported the incident to the wife of the DSS DG who was already resting at the VIP Lounge, the newspaper reported.
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But matters came to a head when someone in the convoy of the NNPP guber candidate pulled out his camera to film the heated discussion ensuing between the wife of the DSS DG and the politician. It was gathered that the wife of the DSS DG then ordered the arrest of Abba Gida Gida and his supporter who was filming the incident.
But the DSS DG, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, however, said that ‘dark forces’ were behind the attempt to assassinate his character and that of his family over his uncompromising stance on some critical governance and policy issues.
Bichi specifically said those forces behind the plot, have engaged Civil Society Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations not to only sustain the attacks but to stage further rallies, road-shows and press conferences and use the occasions to discredit him.
DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya said via a statement Tuesday morning that the service has uncovered plans by some politicians and “disgruntled elements” within and outside the government to sponsor smear campaigns against him and his key officials.
According to him, no amount of intimidation, harassment and blackmail will deter it from discharging its duties, adding that it would not idly watch a group of dissatisfied gang to undermine the service and its highly dedicated leadership and management.
The statement read, “The Department of State Services (DSS) has uncovered plans by some politicians and disgruntled elements within and outside the government to sponsor smear campaigns against the DGSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi CFR, fwc and his key officials over the Service’s uncompromising stance on some critical governance and policy issues.
“Those behind the plot have engaged Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations to not only sustain but stage further rallies, road-shows and press conferences and use the occasions to discredit Bichi.
“Also, sections of the media have been briefed to implement the strategy through sponsored articles, commentaries and features to malign the DG, his family and select officials of the Service.
“The Service is monitoring developments and will allow the plotters to either exhaust themselves or rescind the plan of action. Otherwise, no amount of intimidation, harassment and blackmail will deter it from discharging its duties.
“However, it would not idly watch a group of dissatisfied gang to undermine the Service and its highly dedicated Leadership and Management. The DSS, therefore, wishes to inform the public to be wary of these tendencies and ignore the antics of dark forces out to impugn the character of the DG.
“It restates its unalloyed support to the President on his resolve to continue to confront head-on, threats to national security as well as create the enabling environment necessary for the 2023 general elections to hold.”
