Don’t Honour DSS Invitation To Avoid Obadiah Mailafia Story – Group Tells Bishop Kukah

Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, SOKAPU has called on Bishop Matthew Kukah not invitation sent to him by the Department of State Services, DSS following his Christmas Day message over the insecurity situation in Nigeria.

SOKAPU in a statement yesterday signed by National Youth Leader, Issac John Sirjay said the DSS have plans to silent the Catholic Bishop just the way they have allegedly silenced other persons who spoke truth to power in Nigeria like the former Deputy Governor Of Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia who died after honouring DSS invitation over privileged information he made public over the security situation in Nigeria.

Kukah had lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari over the widespread insecurity bedevilling the country.

“It observed how the operations in recent times extended invitations to some people who had at one time or the other accepted invitations, particularly persons considered to be critical of the nepotistic and clandestine leadership style of the Buhari administration.

“We mourned the sudden demise of Dr Obadiah Mailafia of blessed memory who until his death was a dogged critic of this administration and a regular visitor at one of the DSS facilities,” the statement said.

According to the statement, without ruling out any possibility of harm, it is considered the invitation of Bishop Kukah by the DSS is a ploy designed to silence him at all cost.

The group asked the DSS to focus on the ravaging impact of insecurity, kidnapping and banditry across the country rather than distracting the Bishop who is only pointing out the obvious about the decaying state of the country’s security architecture.

“It is unfortunate to note that with the recent declaration of bandits as terrorists by President Buhari, we had anticipated an invitation from the DSS to the likes of Sheikh Gumi who has always fronted and still fronts for terrorist bandit groups but the reverse is, however, the case.

“In light of the above, it suffices to state boldly that the DSS has unarguably deviated from its core mandate of protecting national security and has become a willing tool for the suppression of free speech.”

SOKAPU also called for an independent investigation into the activities of the DSS with a view to making the institution and its mode of operations in line with global best practices.