About 253 officials with the Department of State Services (DSS) have been turned back by authorities at the Presidential Villa on landing in Abuja.
With uncertainty on the sort of security President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will require in the coming days, authorities of the Presidential Villa, Abuja have turned down about 253 officials of the Department of State Services recently transferred to the Presidential Villa.
Sources reveal that the affected security operatives were deployed from different state commands of the DSS across the country.
According to their redeployment signals that emanated from the service’s National Headquarters, the officers were directed to report at the Presidential Villa last week Monday.
Another report says that the officials, armed with signals showing specifically where they would man in the Presidential Villa, were however turned back on arrival.They were said to have been directed to ensure that they return to their respective former duty posts across the country the following day (last week Tuesday).
One of the affected officials, who was transferred from one of the states in the South-West, opened up on the condition of anonymity that all of them were left to their fate without any transfer allowance.He said, “The about 253 of us were redeployed from commands from across the country to the State House, Abuja. Our signals, which were sent from the headquarters, showed specifically where we are expected to work in the Presidential Villa.
“Some of us were asked to report to the Vice President’s office, some were attached to the President’s wife while some others were attached to the Vice President’s wife among other beats in the Villa.We were however turned back and were asked to resume back at our former duty posts the following day or risk sanction.”
The source said while their deployment to the Presidential Villa was conveyed through signals, no other signal was issued when they were directed to return to base.