A rogue senior operative of the State Security Service (SSS), on Tuesday, allegedly made boast of his close ties with President Bola Tinubu as he brutally attacked civilian lawyer, Douglas Ogbankwa, Peoples Gazette has heard. 

The Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the SSS Edo state command, together with at least seven additional rogue operatives, bragged they were at liberty to do as they pleased because they had the president’s support even if it meant violating citizens’ human rights, according to Mr Ogbankwa’s account of his brutal ordeal with the SSS agents on Tuesday.

Mr Ogbankwa alleged the PSO of the SSS Edo state command brutalised and later placed him under arrest for staunchly refusing to allow operatives of the agency whisk his client, Eromosele, to a secluded place to give a statement without the presence of a lawyer. Peoples Gazette could not immediately obtain the last name of Mr Ogbankwa’s client.

“I protested that I need to be present by the Provisions of the ACJA,” the lawyer wrote in a statement Tuesday evening. “It was at that moment that one man wearing blue native attire that I know is the PSO, Operations and Intelligence, came out asked my client to come out and shouted at me to go back to the reception.” 

But the lawyer insisted on being in the same room as his client, a move that riled the PSO and prompted him to order the civilian out of the agency. However, Mr Ogbankwa boldly disobeyed the order, asserting the “DSS Office is an Agency of the Federal Government and I was a freeborn, who should be able to access same at reasonable hours of the day.”

The lawyer said he later made up his mind to leave the agency with his client but the PSO, who was at that point infuriated by his previous statements, slapped him.

“He slapped me immediately and asked his boys to bundle me into an Underground cell. I was dragged on the floor, cleared from my leg, I received over 7 slaps and blows,” Mr Ogbankwa explained.

The attorney claimed that when he threatened to report the rogue agents to Mr Tinubu, his threat was flippantly dismissed as they bragged about being untouchable, asserting that they already had the president’s backing to carry out their illegal operations, which included harassment and extrajudicial killings.

“I told him the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must hear this and he said they are the President Boys,” asserted Mr Ogbankwa, who said the officials threatened to gun him down if he made any attempt to come to their facility after Tuesday.

“One of them even said they will kill me here and nothing will happen I am presently scared for my life as, the man holding gun said if I come to the DSS Office again, they will gun me down.”

But Peter Afunanya, SSS spokesperson, denied the incident as “drinking bar gossip” when contacted for comments.

Earlier this month, another rogue SSS agent had shot two civilians at Garki International Market, Abuja, during an altercation with other traders. The agency took responsibility for the incident and paid the hospital bills for the injured.