I advised AGF Malami to meet with Maina abroad

Friday, 01 December 2017 03:44

I advised AGF Malami to meet with Maina abroad - DG SSS

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Director General of State Security Services, Mr Lawal Daura, said on Thursday that he advised Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, to meet with Mr Abdulrasheed Maina abroad.

Maina is wanted for alleged pension fraud and is currently on the run from the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

Daura, while giving his submission on Thursday to House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating Maina’s controversial reinstatement and promotion in the civil service, however said he advised him to do so in presence of a third party.

“The attorney general of the federation sometime in 2016 or 2015 (can’t remember the exact day) because it was not through a formal document, placed a call to me when he was outside the country and requested me on a request he got through a source that Maina wanted to meet him.”

“He wanted me to advise him whether to agree to see Maina or not in that foreign country.”

“I responded to the attorney general that he should accept to see Maina but he should not see him alone”

“He should see him with a third party,” Daura said.

The security chief said the attorney general complied and met Mr. Maina in the presence of a third party.

On the accusation of SSS shielding Maina, Daura said Maina had approached the service with a letter alleging threat to his life and therefore requested for protection.

He said “the letter was scrutinised and fears expressed by Maina were also to a large extent established”.

He said the service decided to look into the matter so as to protect Maina.

“Because of the right to life which is guaranteed by our constitution universally recognized, Maina’s case was directed to be looked into so as not to allow his life to be in jeopardy.”

Daura said no agency, including EFCC, wrote SSS seeking to arrest Maina.

He added that the service has nothing to do with the reinstatement of Mr. Maina and his subsequent promotion.

Unlike the SSS, however, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, said it was notified in 2013 to put Maina on a stop list and prevent him from travelling abroad, which it complied with.

The NIS chief, Mr Mohammed Babandede, also told the committee that NIS has no record of Maina leaving the country since 2013.