Abuja based NGO, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, (CISLAC) is asking the Director-General of the Department of State Security Services (DSS) to investigate a siege on its premises at No 16 POW Mafemi Crescent, Off Solomon Lar Way, Jabi in Abuja, demanding to see the Chief Security Officer of the building on a public holiday.
It is making the demand of investigating the siege in consideration of reported recent activities of suspected criminals using official security covers to perpetrate criminal operations, more so that there was no prior notice, invitation or pending request from the DG’s office regarding any of such visit.
CISLAC is linking what it calls an undemocratic action to a major question about “our growing list of deliberate attempts to undermine constitutional order” and the associated fears about Nigeria gradually “snowballing into autocracy with the regular abuse of powers from those parading themselves as agents of the state”.
Restraining itself yet from jumping into conclusion as to exact reasons behind what it describes as ‘this Gestapo approach’, CISLAC, however, believes unprofessional visits clearly violates existential rights guaranteed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Not only that, it says in the statement signed by the Executive Director, Mallam Auwal Musa Ibrahim that it also puts the country on a global map of ‘bad policing’ and shrinking voices of citizens demanding for good governance in the interest of all.
Declaring its commitment to rule of law as an organization, CISLAC asserts its compliance with all statutes and thereby declares itself free of being in violation of any laws. It is, therefore, urging the DG to use his good office to put an end to “this trend of shrinking civic space and the ongoing attempt to weaken democratic institutions to which the civil society community represents an aspect”. The organisation is expecting to see the operatives who paid the visit to its offices illegally not only called to order but also charged to be civil in their approach and “not militarize our nascent democracy”.
