News

Why We Celebrated Bichi’s Exit – DSS Officers

Published

1 year ago

August 31, 2024

Some officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) have described the exit of their former boss, Yusuf Bichi, as ‘freedom from unprofessionalism’.

The DSS officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity
listed Bichi’s alleged misconduct to include undue interference in the service’s operations by his wife and son, Yusuf Bichi.

A video of some DSS staff members allegedly celebrating Bichi’s resignation surfaced online immediately after his departure.

However, an X user, Sanusi Jibrin, said the clip was recorded at the Kogi State DSS office, where personnel were celebrating Ajayi’s appointment, as he was a former director at the state command.

A DSS officer, however, said personnel of the agency were happy with his removal.

“We believed his regime was a punishment for us. He impeded the career advancement of many officers by extending the service years of those due to retire. Some senior officers, who were due for retirement in 2021 and 2022 were retained in the service,” he stated.

Another officer alleged that Bichi was indifferent to the welfare of workers.

“The Federal Government increased our salary by 40 per cent, but there was no implementation. We were earning more than the police before, but the police are now earning more than us because they implemented their 40 per cent increment. However, there was a proposal to increase our salary by 25 per cent this year, but it has yet to be realised,” the officer said.

Speaking on the recruitment of personnel, another secret agent described Bichi’s recruitment as nepotistic.

“Bichi’s recruitments were arbitrary and lopsided. Three different training sessions have been conducted for some people we didn’t know when they were recruited this year alone. Most of the newly recruited personnel are northerners.

“His first recruitment in 2019 brought in either 420 or 450 persons from Bichi Local Government Area in Kano alone. In the history of the service, 450 was the maximum recruitment we ever had before Bichi, but he recruited 1,000 personnel at once.

“There was no southerner among the national directors and deputy directors at the headquarters until January this year when he was directed by the Presidency following a petition. His wife is another issue; she abused her husband’s office. His son, too, was power drunk.

“Just two weeks ago, his wife slapped a DSS director in a northern state. She also slapped at least two deputy directors at airports.”

Tweeps also criticised the former DSS boss, accusing him of allowing his family to abuse power because of his position.

The publisher of Daily Nigerian, Jafaar Jafaar, while commenting on X, said Bichi turned the DSS into a “graveyard of career aspirations.”

“He lowered the recruitment bar, removed the multi-layer screening process to recruit personnel who couldn’t even pass the Halogen Security aptitude test. Bichi arguably recruited the highest number of Cotonou ‘graduates’ into the service. He wilfully extended the tenure of some retired directors in his good book for years, killing the ambitions of the aspiring directors. He allowed his wife to lord over the service, influencing recruitment, promotion and discipline,” he stated.

Jafaar alleged that Bichi’s wife oppressed people with “a superfluity of everything at the expense of public funds,” adding that she moved around in a long motorcade, harassing motorists.

“She was a stormy petrel, who was majorly in the news for either assaulting her tailor for failing to meet a deadline or picking a fight with opposition politicians. His impudent, spoiled brat son shrugged off public criticism to gleefully display a fleet of luxury cars on social media.

“At the expense of public funds, he has a number of DSS operatives giving him cover at football arena, nightclub and political campaign rallies.”

A check on Bichi’s son, Yusuf’s X page, saw a video clip of when he rode in a long convoy of security operatives, suspected to be men of the DSS.

In 2023, the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, had also claimed that Bichi’s wife threatened to prevent him from becoming the state governor.

The governor, in a viral video, also alleged that the woman abused and insulted him before preventing him from boarding a commercial plane.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, stated that the alleged celebration of Bichi’s resignation by some staff members did not necessarily mean he was a good or bad leader.

According to him, workers do not like disciplined bosses who insist that everybody should do the right thing and reject corruption.

“I’m not saying the former DG is good because we could see a lot of loopholes in intelligence gathering and security issues.

“That staff and colleagues are celebrating his exit, it’s neither here nor there. It could be that he is very, very strict or it could be that he has not been taking care of their welfare and whatever.

“It could also be that he didn’t allow them to do their work the way they wanted to do it. And maybe his exit will allow them to prove their mettle, that they could work better than they were doing under him”, he added.

Illegal arrests, violation of court orders

Under the leadership of Bichi, the DSS was involved in many controversial operations, including the arrest of a former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele was arrested on June 9, 2023, and was only arraigned more than a month later.

On 25 July, despite a Federal High Court order granting him bail and ordering his transfer to a correctional centre, the DSS re-arrested him, with operatives reportedly assaulting a prison official at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, in the process.

A former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, was also a victim. He was arrested on August 3, 2019, just days before a planned protest tagged #RevolutionNow against “bad governance”.

Although released on bail on December 5, Sowore was re-arraigned on December 6.

The DSS attempted to re-arrest him inside the courtroom but were prevented by his supporters; however, they succeeded in re-arresting him outside the court.

Another case involved a citizen Anthony Okolie, who was detained by the DSS for 10 weeks for purchasing and using an MTN SIM card previously used and discarded by Hanan Buhari, the daughter of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Also, the Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa, Adejuwon Soyinka, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos last Sunday and detained for hours before his release. However, his passport was confiscated.

Efforts to reach Bichi proved unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
PUNCH

News

Coordinator, Edo First Lady Office, Majority Leader, Rights Lawyer, Others Bag 2025 Leadership Award

Published

16 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani; Majority Leader, Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Jonathan Aigbokhan, and human rights lawyer, President Aigbokhan, alongside 27 others were on Friday , December 19, 2025, honoured with the 2025 Leadership & Development Award.

In his welcome address at the event with the theme: ‘Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders: Innovating for a Sustainable Future,’ Team Lead, Leadership and Development Initiatives, Dr. Sunny Duke Okosun, said the initiative was to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations that are shaping the future of “our world.”

Okosun, who said the awardees were not just selected for award sake, noted that “our awardees have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to making a positive impact in their respective fields. Their stories will inspire us, their achievements will motivate us, and their dedication will challenge us to strive for greatness.”

The Team Lead, while expressing his organisation’s
commitment to identifying, recognizing, and empowering leaders who are making a difference, said “we also look to the future, recognizing that the leaders of tomorrow will be those who innovate, collaborate, and prioritize sustainability.”

Okosun, who congratulated the awardees on “your outstanding achievements,” stressed: “Let us continue to inspire, motivate, and challenge each other to be the leaders we need for a brighter tomorrow.”

In her keynote address, Anani described the theme of the event as timely and profound, stressing that “it speaks directly to the urgent need to prepare our present and future generations with the skills, values, and mindset required to navigate an increasingly complex world.”

The Coordinator, who noted that “a sustainable future demands leaders who are conscious of the environment, committed to social inclusion, and driven by economic responsibility,” challenged: “Leadership in our time must go beyond titles and positions; it must be anchored on service, innovation, integrity, and a clear vision for sustainable development. Leadership empowerment begins with education, mentorship, and opportunity.”

She added: “When we invest in our young people by equipping them with knowledge, encouraging creativity, and providing platforms for growth we are laying the foundation for enduring progress. Innovation, in this context, is not limited to technology alone; it also includes innovative thinking in governance, entrepreneurship, social development, and community engagement.

“A sustainable future demands leaders who are conscious of the environment, committed to social inclusion, and driven by economic responsibility. It calls for leaders who can balance progress with preservation, growth with equity, and ambition with compassion. As a society, we must therefore foster innovation that addresses real challenges, creates jobs, strengthens communities, and improves the quality of life for all.”

Guest Speaker at the event, Prof. Festus Olise, described leadership as a curse to Nigeria, adding: “Year in, year out, we elect leaders into leadership positions yet our problems persist.”

Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly who happened to be one of the recipients, thanked the organisers, stressing that it is a challenge for him to do more for his people.

“I have done much for my constituents since I was elected, but the award will spure me to do more. Leadership is about catering for the followers, and this is a role I have been playing to the best of my ability.”

News

Delta Speaker Advocates Strict Legislative Protection Of N’Delta Environment

Published

2 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

The Speaker of the Delta state House of Assembly Hon. Emomotimi Guwor has advocated for more stringent legislations to protect the Niger Delta environment against violators, especially multinational and local oil companies.

He lamented that these multinational and local oil companies have turned the Niger Delta environment to dumping sites with the pollution of oil exploration and exploitation.

Guwor spoke at the 2nd annual Ijaw media conference 2025, organized by the Ijaw Publishers’ Forum, IPF in Delta State.

According to him, this will curb further damages of the Niger Delta environment, thereby saving the environment for future generations.

The Delta state speaker, who was represented by a former Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Chief Emma Amgbaduba, noted that environmental neglect and social injustice were key drivers of unrest in oil-producing areas.

According to him, ”fishermen and farmers are in acute hunger and hardship due to the polluted rivers and degraded farmlands have pushed many families into hardship, threatening livelihoods that once sustained entire communities”

He warned that unless urgent steps are taken to protect natural resources, the human cost of oil exploration would continue to deepen poverty and insecurity in the region, with consequences for the national economy.

Guwor emphasized that host communities must demand strict compliance by international and indigenous oil companies with global environmental standards and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

He noted that environmental neglect and social injustice were key drivers of unrest in oil-producing areas.

Guwor urged residents to take ownership of environmental protection in their communities, while acknowledging ongoing efforts to curb crude oil theft, which he said has worsened pollution and economic losses.

The Speaker stressed that peaceful coexistence within communities remained critical to restoring confidence, attracting investments and improving living conditions in the Niger Delta.

News

IPF’s Conference: Igali Seeks Approval Of License For Locals To Operate Modular Refinery

Published

2 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

The National Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum,( PANDEF) Amb. Godknows Boladei lgali, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to approve license for Niger Delta sons and daughters who have the requirements to operate modular refineries as it is done in the US and the Western world.

Dr. Igali who was the keynote speaker at the 2025 Ijaw Media Conference made the call on Wednesday December 17, in Warri.

He stated that the operation of modular refineries was for the best interest of increasing the growth of the nation’s economy as well as to create a sense of belonging to the people that own the crude oil and gas.

He said that it is important for the people to properly manage their God-given resources towards the welfare of humanity rather than being destroyed in the name of illegal oil bunkering.

by government security agencies thereby resulting in pollution and degradation of the environment they lived in.

He asserted that most of the raw materials used by industries are deposited in the Niger Delta region, especially crude oil, Gas, palm oil, rubber, cotton etc, stressing that the region will continue to be relevant in Nigeria because of her natural wealth.

He affirmed that Niger Deltans should think of sustaining its natural resources as well as safeguarding its environment for today and the future generations.

He urged the people to be more focused on education and professional skill acquisition, stressing that with the right education and skills, the scholars can invent new things that will better the society.

Igali also commended the Presidential Amnesty Programme Coordinator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro for his good works, while urging him not to be distracted by critics rather, he should continue sending “our sons and daughters abroad to acquire more skills and come back home to develop the Niger Delta region.”

He also urged Niger Deltans to sustain the existing peace, stressing that without peace development cannot strive in the communities.