Public Affairs Analyst Lemmy Ughegbe has defended the Department of State Services (DSS) amid growing criticism of the agency following allegations surrounding the recent attack on human rights activist Omoyele Sowore in Ekiti State.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Ughegbe described the DSS as a professional security institution, arguing that the agency has demonstrated considerable restraint in its dealings with Nigerians.
He maintained that the security agency possesses the capacity to harm anyone it chooses to target but has not operated like authoritarian security organisations of the past.
According to him, if the DSS were interested in eliminating individuals, it would have the ability to do so without much difficulty. He, however, insisted that the agency had not adopted such an approach.
Ughegbe made the comments while responding to questions about why the DSS would be interested in pursuing Sowore, who is also the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).
His defence comes days after Sowore accused security operatives of failing to protect him and members of his campaign team during an attack by armed men in Ekiti State on October 30.
The activist alleged that police officers assigned to his team abandoned them during the incident. He also accused the DSS of leaking information about his movements to the attackers, intimidating the owner of a restaurant where his team planned to hold a town hall meeting, and influencing media organisations to minimise coverage of the incident.
However, Ughegbe questioned Sowore’s broad criticism of the police, pointing to the assistance he reportedly received after the attack.
He referenced the activist’s treatment at a police hospital, the security personnel assigned to him and comments by human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, who reportedly acknowledged that some police officers helped protect Sowore.
The analyst argued that allegations of misconduct involving individual officers should not automatically become grounds for condemning entire security institutions.
Meanwhile, Sowore has challenged the police account of how he escaped from the attackers, rejecting claims that officers rescued him during the incident.
Speaking during a Global Emergency Zoom Meeting on Sunday, the AAC presidential candidate said he personally contacted people for assistance and shared his location before police officers eventually arrived.
He explained that he lost his phone while fleeing from the attackers and had to use his smartwatch to communicate with people who could help him.
Sowore said he initially hesitated to disclose his location because he feared the attackers might be monitoring his communications. He eventually provided the information and remained inside a residential compound while efforts were made to establish whether it was safe to come outside.
He added that he asked someone to confirm the presence of police officers in the area before leaving his hiding place.
Although police officers later took him and members of his entourage to a hospital, Sowore insisted that their arrival should not be presented as the reason he survived the attack.
He has continued to demand accountability over the incident, including investigations into the alleged conduct of security operatives and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
