We will cage all known terrorists, bandits, kidnapping sponsors before 2023 elections, DSS boss Bichi assures
DSS Director General Mohammed Yusuf Bichi.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has vowed to cage all individuals and groups responsible for the insecurity ravaging the country before the 2023 general elections.
The DSS said that it would go after those perceived to be sponsoring activities of terrorists, bandits, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country, irrespective of their political, religious and public status.
The Service indicated that it has collated the data of such persons in readiness to effect their arrest any moment from now.
The move, according to DSS Director General Mohammed Yusuf Bichi, is to pave way for a smooth, free, fair and safe conduct of the 2023 general elections in the country.
Bichi, made this known at a ceremony organised by the staff of the Service to mark his four years in office, unveiling of a book written in his honour and the renewal of another four-year term in office by President Mohammadu Buhari, held at the service headquarters Wednesday night.
He said they would not be allowed to escape as they are being monitored on a 24-hour basis.
The DG, listing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes as some of the insecurity challenges the country faces, said the Service would no longer fold its arms to watch those perpetrating these evils move about and carry on with their deadly activities.
He said the DSS, which military, police, the various security agencies and indeed the general public rely on for intelligence, are working round the clock to rid all criminals and their sponsors out of the way before the 2023 general elections.
Bichi said the Service was more than ever well equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and manpower who have undergone various training within and outside the country.
He said in the coming days, weeks and months, Nigerians would get to know those who have been championing the insecurity in the country using religion and other dubious means as cover to perpetrate their evil acts to the detriment of innocent and law-abiding citizens.
He said these set of people would not be allowed to escape as they are been monitored 24 hours.
The DG, noting that the task before the Service is enormous given the security challenges in the country, pointed out that with the level of manpower and technology the service has acquired in the last few years, the task was surmountable.
“The task ahead of us is quite enormous but we have increased the platforms of the service we have been able to take the service to the next level technologically and we are ready to face the security challenges facing the country,” he stated.
“All the services rely on us for intelligence and we are not going to fail them. It is a commitment and in a couple of days, weeks, or months, all those responsible for all these insecurities will definitely be rounded up and they will never escape.
“We are building our data on people that definitely want to undermine the security of this nation or even our democracy. We will achieve that result.
“People know our capability they know that when the DSS says they will do this they will surely do it,” he said.
The staff of the agency including retired officers poured encomium on the DG, who they described as humble, committed a good listener.
