DSS to probe Atiku's claim it planned Sokoto protests
- Atiku Abubakar accused the DSS of planning protests to disrupt the ADC rally in Sokoto.
- The DSS denied the claim but said its director-general ordered a probe out of respect for Atiku.
- The service cited its rescue of ADC's Sokoto governorship candidate Mannir Daniya as proof of neutrality.
The Department of State Services (DSS) says it has opened an investigation into a claim by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that the agency was working to stage protests in Sokoto State.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the allegation on Tuesday while speaking with journalists in Abuja, according to reports. He said the protests were meant to create disorder and give grounds for a curfew that would stop the party's campaign rally in the state.
The DSS denied the claim. In a statement signed by Favour Dozie, deputy director of public relations and strategic communications, the service said the allegation does not match how it operates.
Even so, the Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, ordered an investigation, which the service described as a mark of respect for Atiku as an elder statesman.
Why the service says the claim is unfair
The DSS said it protects politicians from every party, and that its record in Sokoto and elsewhere shows it. It said its officers moved the ADC governorship candidate in Sokoto, Mannir Daniya, to safety when he was attacked on October 31, 2026.
Two DSS operatives were assaulted during that incident and were still receiving treatment in hospital as of Tuesday, the service said. Daniya later called the Sokoto State Director of the DSS to thank the officers and asked for more security, according to the statement.
The DSS also pointed to Rivers State, where it said it arrested and prosecuted Monday Udeme Steven on March 2, 2026, for threatening to attack Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC). Steven was convicted by a Federal High Court in Rivers State and sentenced to two years in prison, the service said.
It argued that such cases sit badly with the idea that it would work against one party. The service said the allegation could weaken the morale of officers who put their lives at risk.
Atiku's accusation is not the only one the agency is facing. Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has accused the DSS of involvement in an attack on him in Ekiti State.
The DSS said it welcomed the police investigation into that incident. A preliminary police report blamed an altercation, and 11 suspects have been arrested, according to the service. It said it will wait for the final outcome and will not spend more energy on the matter.
The service said it remains accountable under its current leadership.
What happens next
The DSS has ordered an investigation into Atiku's allegation. The service has also said it is awaiting the outcome of the police investigation into the Ekiti incident involving Sowore.
