The information provided in this Response is additional to that found in NGA33988.E of 10 March 2000.

In July 1999 four directors of the SSS were "compulsorily retired" (P.M. News 8 July 1999). One of these was its Director-General, Peter Nwadua, who resisted the notion of retiring and was later arrested in August 1999 at Lagos' international airport "as he was boarding a flight to flee the country" (ibid. 27 Aug. 1999). When the new director took over "he reportedly uncovered a large scale fraud and misappropriation of millions of naira allegedly perpetrated by M. Nwadua and his cronies" (ibid.). "P.M. News further gathered that the looting spree which characterised the former DG's tenure has left dilapidated facilities in the organisation which also forced many staffers to resign" (ibid.).

AFP reported on 8 August 1999 that President Obasanjo had set up the "Justice Oputa Human Rights Panel ... to investigate rights abuses under military rule" and that this would include the role of the SSS. In March 2000, Post Express referred to a Special Investigation Panel (SIP), which was investigating former military and police officers; the SIP included members of the SSS, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) (7 Mar. 2000). The Court of Appeal Abuja Division had deferred its verdict in March 2000 on the "AG's legal power to set up the SIP" (ibid.).

There are also reports of a variety of activities performed by the SSS. Its officers have arrested, or brought in for questioning, different Nigerian persons involved with ethnically-based activities, including advocates for Biafra, the Oodua People's Congress (OPC), and the Arewa People's Congress (APC) (Post Express 29 Mar. 2000; ibid. 7 Apr. 2000; ibid. 30 Dec. 1999). In April 2000, the leader of the OPC's moderate wing, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, was arrested in connection with his "allegations that some groups were amassing arms and ammunition in the South-West," and was then later released (Africa News 7 Apr. 2000). Post Express stated that his arrest was "the latest in the series of arrests of leaders of groups campaigning for greater regional autonomy" (7 Apr. 2000).

The leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, was arrested by SSS agents at his Lagos home in late March 2000 (Post Express 29 Mar. 2000). His house was later searched by SSS agents who "stormed" his home with a search warrant (ibid.). He had previously been questioned by SSS officers "on about four occasions" and this arrest was said to be in connection "with the planned hoisting of the Biafran flag and the release of the failed republic's Coat of Arms and national anthem billed for May 27 this year" (ibid.). Post Express stated that he reported his allegations that while the officers did not "manhandle" him, they treated him "like a condemned criminal" (2 Apr. 2000). He claimed that a "senior officer" questioned him following which he was detained for five days (ibid.).

There have been reports of SSS officers taking actions against different media organizations in Nigeria (PANA 5 Feb. 2000; AFP 6 Apr. 2000; The Guardian 5 Apr. 2000; Post Express 27 Oct. 1999). On 27 October 1999 Post Express reported that "in a renewed bid to suppress the rising call for the actualisation of the state of Biafra, the Federal Government last week initiated a clampdown on newspaper distributors in the South-eastern part of the country, seizing most of their publications" and claimed that these actions carried out by SSS agents, were drawing comparisons by some persons to the actions General Abacha took against media outlets.

Referring to a BBC report, Post Express stated that the Chairman of the Newspaper Distributors in Enugu was arrested and then later released and was warned by SSS officers against distributing his "subversive publication" (ibid.). This report also stated that two weeks previously, 20,000 copies of Africa Today had been "impounded" at Lagos' international airport and that police "were said to have arrested the Acting Editor of Ogoni Star, a newspaper published by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)" (ibid.).

In February 2000, Reporters Without Borders "vehemently protested" the early January arrest, and continued detention, of the deputy editor of Tell (PANA 5 Feb. 2000). His detention was said to have been in connection with the publication of his interview with a senator Joseph Waku, whom the newspaper's deputy editor quoted as calling for a military coup against President Obasanjo (ibid.). The senator was suspended from the Senate (ibid.). No further information on the journalist, nor on the senator, could be found in the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

In April 2000, SSS agents sealed the offices of the newspaper This Day for a few hours in connection with their search for the newspaper's editor-in-chief and chairman, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena (AFP 6 Apr. 2000; The Guardian 5 Apr. 2000).The paper's managing editor claimed "The [SSS] men, numbering nine and well armed with submachine guns and pistols broke through the security network and manhandled This Day security personnel in the process," and that the officers "flashed a search and arrest warrant" (ibid.). The SSS issued a "highly unusual public statement" denying the newspaper's claim that the raid was connected to the newspaper's corruption probe of the president's top security advisor and instead claimed that Obaigbena was being sought in connection with "an unsettled hotel bill totalling 23,407.39 dollars after a stay" at a Washington D.C. hotel as well as an unnamed "grave" matter (ibid.).

SSS officers have also been reported as involved with a number of security functions such as providing protection to government officials, border surveillance, and guarding prisoners at court and in prison (The Guardian 7 Feb. 2000; Post Express 28 Aug. 1999; ibid. 12 Oct. 1999; ibid. 12 Dec. 1999; ibid. 18 Jan. 2000; P.M. News 22 Feb. 2000). P.M. News reported claims by prison warders at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons, that SSS officers were accepting bribes from the family and friends of wealthy prisoners in exchange for access to the prisoners (ibid.).

SSS officials have also been reported to have been involved in verifying the credentials of the Speaker of the federal House of Representatives and of a member of the Niger State House of Assembly (Post Express 27 Aug. 1999; ibid. 18 July 1999). The SSS was also reported as investigating the "illegal sale of N1billion reinforcement bars" by the Federal Housing Authority (ibid. 7 Sept. 1999).

No information on the structure, composition, nor the uniforms of the State Security Service (SSS) could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Africa News. 7 April 2000. Lomose Andy. "Nigeria; Why Fasehun Was Arrested." (NEXIS)

Agence France Presse (AFP). 6 April 2000. Peter Cunliffe-Jones. "Nigerian Editor Sought Over Hotel Bill, 'Grave' Matter: SSS." (NEXIS)

_____. 8 August 1999. "Nigeria - Body Says Police are Main Human Rights Violators." (FBIS-AFR-1999-0808 8 Aug. 1999/WNC)

The Guardian [Lagos]. 5 April 2000. "Security Officers Search Newspaper Premises." (BBC Summary 7 Apr. 2000/NEXIS)

_____. 7 February 2000. "Security Alert at Ports, Borders." http://www.nigerianews.net [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

Panafrican News Agency (PANA). 5 February 2000. Ruth Nabakwe. "Nigeria; Reporters' Body Demands Release of Nigerian Journalist." (Africa News/NEXIS)

P.M. News [Lagos]. 22 February 2000. Philpson Abah and Seyi Oduyela. "Nigeria; Kirikiri Warders, SSS at War Over Mustapha, Bamaiyi's Gifts." (Africa News/NEXIS)

_____. 27 August 1999. Horace Ekpe. "Nigeria; Ex-SSS Boss Arrested." (Africa News/NEXIS)

_____. 8 July 1999. "Nigeria; Todays in Nigeria's Newspapers." (Africa News/NEXIS)

Post Express [Lagos]. 7 April 2000. "Fasheun, OPC Leader, Arrested." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____.2 April 2000. Pat Anyatonwu and Tunji Adeyemi. "MASSOB Leader Released, Remains Adamant. www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____.29 March 2000. "Detained Biafran Advocate Moved to Abuja ... As SSS Search His Home." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 7 March 2000. Frank Alabi. "Court determines SIP Legal Status Wednesday." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 18 January 2000. "Abia's Anti-Corruption Stance Continues, Says Advisor." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 30 December 1999. Basset Inyang. "APC Boss Nabbed." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 12 December 1999. Emmanuel Edom. "Bamaiyi, Danbaba, Yakubu in Court Again ... Sent Back to Prison." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 27 October 1999. Phillip Nwosu. "Ripples Over Biafra Publication." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 12 October 1999. John Alechenu. "Senate May Reduce Privileges of Poltical Office." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 7 September 1999. Osborne Adi. "Govt Probes N2.3b Fraud in FHA." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 28 August 1999. Bassey Inyang. "Customs Beefs Up Security at Kano Airport." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 27 August 1999. Abubakar Mohammed. "Buharigate Haunts Niger Assembly." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

_____. 18 July 1999. Chuks Ohuegbe. "Buhari's Certificates Were Forged, Says INEC." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 19 Apr. 2000]

IRB databases

LEXIS-NEXIS

REFWORLD

World News Connection (WNC)