Few hours after he was quizzed by the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday invited Prince Kassim Afegbua for a chat.
Afegbua is billed to meet with the DSS Director-General, Mr. Lawal Daura, today.
Afegbua’s lead counsel, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, confirmed the invitation.
“My client received a call from the DSS on Wednesday evening indicating that he should come for a chat with the DG between the hours of 11a.m. or 12p.m. on Thursday,” Ajulo said.
He, however, could not confirm the motive of the invitation.
The Police had, on Monday, declared Afegbua wanted, in connection with a statement he issued on behalf of former Military President Ibrahim Babangida.
Afegbua showed up at the Force Headquarters, Abuja 48 hours after he was declared wanted by the police.
He was accompanied by his lawyer, Ajulo.
Afegbua, in an interview with New Telegraph, described his visit to the Force Headquarters as friendly and interactive.
Narrating his experience at the Force Headquarters to New Telegraph yesterday, Afegbua said the Police had told him that he was not under arrest and that the Force only needed clarifications based on the statement issued.
He said: “I was at the Force Headquarters to present myself as a responsible Nigerian who was never on the run. And the Police told me I was not under arrest, but that they only needed clarifications based on the statement that was issued.
“It was a friendly experience and they were quite enlightened. They said we should find a way around the case filed in court and I promised to speak to my lawyer. They said lawyers know how they go about such matters.”
Asked to say what it feels like being declared wanted, Afegbua said it was “unwise” of the Police to have done so.
He wondered why he would be declared wanted, when he was not a fugitive to the law.
“I am only here personally because I was declared wanted; I am not on the run, I am not a fugitive to the law and as a responsible Nigerian, I feel it was unwise on the part of the police to declare me wanted when I have not been formally invited.
“So, I am here to present myself. I am here with my family members and my lawyer,” Afegbua said.
Responding to a question on what may have necessitated the release of a second statement, he said the fact that the former Military President confirmed the authenticity of the first letter, made the second one a non-issue.
He said: “If the (former) President has spoken to confirm the veracity of the statement I issued on his behalf, the other letter wouldn’t be an issue.
“Because essentially, that statement, as far as I am concerned, did not speak for IBB and General Babangida. By the special grace of God, the former President and his title is GCFR and not GCON. So to me, the purported rebuttal is unnecessary.”
Speaking on the N1 billion fundamental rights suit he slammed on the Police, he noted: “The laws of the land are very clear. When you declared somebody who is not a criminal or a fugitive wanted, you have not tried to arrest him, and he evaded arrest. All you hear on television locally and internationally is to demean his personality, integrity.
“It is understandable why I will have to extract my own commitment by way of asking the law court to enforce my right because I have a right under the constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended to freedom of association, freedom of speech and dignity and even if anything warrants one being declared wanted, it shouldn’t be in that manner.”
He, however, disclosed that the Police were the only defendant in the suit, as he had struck out the names of other two respondents.
Shortly after the brief interaction with Afegbua, a mild drama ensued, as the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, fumed at journalists for entering the Louis Edet’s premises without invitation from him.
Efforts to explain to him that journalists were only doing their jobs were rebuffed, as Moshood said, “I don’t give a damn”.
Afegbua’s lead counsel, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, confirmed the invitation.
“My client received a call from the DSS on Wednesday evening indicating that he should come for a chat with the DG between the hours of 11a.m. or 12p.m. on Thursday,” Ajulo said.
He, however, could not confirm the motive of the invitation.
The Police had, on Monday, declared Afegbua wanted, in connection with a statement he issued on behalf of former Military President Ibrahim Babangida.
Afegbua showed up at the Force Headquarters, Abuja 48 hours after he was declared wanted by the police.
He was accompanied by his lawyer, Ajulo.
Afegbua, in an interview with New Telegraph, described his visit to the Force Headquarters as friendly and interactive.
Narrating his experience at the Force Headquarters to New Telegraph yesterday, Afegbua said the Police had told him that he was not under arrest and that the Force only needed clarifications based on the statement issued.
He said: “I was at the Force Headquarters to present myself as a responsible Nigerian who was never on the run. And the Police told me I was not under arrest, but that they only needed clarifications based on the statement that was issued.
“It was a friendly experience and they were quite enlightened. They said we should find a way around the case filed in court and I promised to speak to my lawyer. They said lawyers know how they go about such matters.”
Asked to say what it feels like being declared wanted, Afegbua said it was “unwise” of the Police to have done so.
He wondered why he would be declared wanted, when he was not a fugitive to the law.
“I am only here personally because I was declared wanted; I am not on the run, I am not a fugitive to the law and as a responsible Nigerian, I feel it was unwise on the part of the police to declare me wanted when I have not been formally invited.
“So, I am here to present myself. I am here with my family members and my lawyer,” Afegbua said.
Responding to a question on what may have necessitated the release of a second statement, he said the fact that the former Military President confirmed the authenticity of the first letter, made the second one a non-issue.
He said: “If the (former) President has spoken to confirm the veracity of the statement I issued on his behalf, the other letter wouldn’t be an issue.
“Because essentially, that statement, as far as I am concerned, did not speak for IBB and General Babangida. By the special grace of God, the former President and his title is GCFR and not GCON. So to me, the purported rebuttal is unnecessary.”
Speaking on the N1 billion fundamental rights suit he slammed on the Police, he noted: “The laws of the land are very clear. When you declared somebody who is not a criminal or a fugitive wanted, you have not tried to arrest him, and he evaded arrest. All you hear on television locally and internationally is to demean his personality, integrity.
“It is understandable why I will have to extract my own commitment by way of asking the law court to enforce my right because I have a right under the constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended to freedom of association, freedom of speech and dignity and even if anything warrants one being declared wanted, it shouldn’t be in that manner.”
He, however, disclosed that the Police were the only defendant in the suit, as he had struck out the names of other two respondents.
Shortly after the brief interaction with Afegbua, a mild drama ensued, as the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, fumed at journalists for entering the Louis Edet’s premises without invitation from him.
Efforts to explain to him that journalists were only doing their jobs were rebuffed, as Moshood said, “I don’t give a damn”.
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