DSS’ Red Security Alarm

As the Christmas and New Year festivities continue, Nigerians are yet to over-come the panic created by the alarm raised by the Department of State Services (DSS) few weeks ago that it uncovered “syndicated plots” by some undesirable groups to cause a breakdown of law and order across the country.
Although the DSS did not name members of the said groups, it claimed that the groups had made arrangements to instigate protests, mass action and violence with a view to causing anarchy and destabilising the country “in the coming weeks”, suggesting that its alarm was based on mere suspicion.
The DSS in its claims in a statement by its Public Relations Officer,  Dr Peter Afunanya. said: “These predetermined actions have been designed to take place simultaneously in the major cities across the geopolitical zones in the coming weeks. This is more so that the plotters are also targeting the Yuletide seasons to accomplish their sinister motives.
“Considering the implications of these on public safety and national security, the Service wishes to warn the anti-democratic elements responsible for these heinous plots to desist forthwith from their inglorious acts.
“Consequently, parents are advised to rein in their wards and enjoin them not to allow themselves to be used to foment trouble. Similarly, Heads of academic and public institutions are to warn their students and employees respectively from engaging in any untoward activity against public order.
“The Service and other sister agencies are at alert and will ensure that peace and security are maintained in all parts of the country before, during and after the festive periods. Law-abiding citizens are equally encouraged to go about their normal businesses without fear but report any suspected persons or breach of peace to the nearest security office to them.”
The Tide agrees no less with experts that the DSS statement raised several questions. First, if the Service has “uncovered” so much about the plots and discovered how they were going to be carried out, why did it not go ahead and arrest the “undesirable” elements?
Also giving the alleged plots a public warning, is not, in our opinion, the best reaction. Should the “plotters” go ahead and attempt to cause the destabilisation anyway, then, that the Service would have failed to perform a duty imposed upon it by law.
While we join other citizens to expect that the DSS to have immediately commenced the arrests of the alleged “undesirable groups”, we urge the intelligence agency not to allow any threats uncovered to materialise. To ask Nigerians to be on the alert about the “plots”, we believe, is unhelpful if further steps are not taken to bring the would be troublemakers to justice.
Furthermore, The Tide had expected the DSS to be more circumspect and even discreet about the information. This is because the alarm raised, without concrete evidence to hold on to, is capable of heightening tension and causing unnecessary panic in the country.
The security agency should have been more proactive by first of all making arrest before coming out to raise the alarm.
However, we want to take the alarm as a forewarning that should not be taken with a pinch of salt. We, therefore, call for caution on the part of Nigerians. What we need for now, particularly as the nation journeys into this year 2020, is how to grow the economy; Nigerians should come together as one to see to the development of the country. Destabilisation will not augur well for us.
We advise any aggrieved person(s) to resort to court or take any other democratic path to address their grievances. Nigeria has come of age democratically; therefore, anything that would truncate the country’s democracy should not be condoned.
However, it will not be out of place to say that the Federal Government precipitated the current tension and disillusionment across the country due to its actions and inactions.
We, therefore, expect the government to be more responsible in its approach to national issues, especially as regards to human rights of the citizenry, obedience of court orders and general welfare of the citizenry in this new year.
We say this because the alarm raised by the DSS goes to support the general notion that all is not well with the country and that many Nigerians are not happy with happenings in the country.