IT was a sombre moment at the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) in Abuja at the weekend when authorities led family members and other friends of the Service to pay their last respect to fallen colleagues who lost their lives in mysterious circumstances in Assakio, near Lafia in Nasarawa state on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.
Wearing black attires, many of the personnel, including the Director-General, Ita Ekpenyong Ita, as well as some of the past DGs of the Service including the Minister of State for the FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide and well wishers last Friday night fought hard to control tears during the candlelight procession in honour of their 10 operatives who were brutally murdered during an official operation along with some policemen in the area.
The operatives who were allegedly murdered by the Ombatse militia group were Ninsel Ponfa, Benjamin Abughul, Mohammed Isah Gobir, Durfa Nandu Timman, Paul Samuel, Alliu Shehu, Thomas Nomsule Terzungwe, Daniel John, Julius Ber and Salihu Suhununu.
Pioneer Director General of the Service, Gen. Abdulahi Mohammed, who also spoke during the occasion, decried the interference by the human rights community and other civil society organisations in the operations of security agencies in the country.
Mohammed used the opportunity to call on the National Assembly to come up with legislations that will provide protection for the security services assigned on operations to crisis areas in the country.
"The anger is that if a soldier is killed in these operations it is just a number, if a policeman is killed it is just a number and if a member of the SSS is killed it is just a number. But if any member of the terrorist groups is killed you see the human rights people crying to the high heavens as if members of the security agencies have no human rights and families.
"All these frivolous accusations must be ignored completely," he said, adding that security agencies should be supported and allowed to take action when necessary and not condemned.
But the SSS authorities have assured that the Service would not be deterred in carrying out its task of ensuring that security of lives and property of Nigerians anywhere in the country is safe.
In an address at the occasion, the SSS DG, Ita Ekpenyong Ita said that the death of the 10 operatives would further embolden the service in carrying out its responsibility, adding that in spite of the losses, it will never be cowed.
"In the face of the tragedy, the enemy has only succeeded in making the Service stronger as it seeks to save our nation from the hands of evil."
Speakers at the occasion were the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim, National Security Adviser, Ibrahim Dasuki and others.
The Guardian