A security source confirmed the development to our correspondent on Thursday night.
The PUNCH had reported how a mob broke into Green City Hotel in Yola and dragged some officials, one of whom was a senior DSS officer, out of their rooms following the controversial declaration of the Adamawa State’s All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Aishatu Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, as the governor-elect by the now-suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
A viral video on social media had shown an aged man identified as Professor Zuru, one of the two national commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission deployed to oversee the April 15 supplementary governorship election in the state, being humiliated.
Speaking to our correspondent, the source said, “Fintiri’s chief security detail, Ahmad Umar, has been arrested and detained by the DSS in Abuja. He was the one that personally assaulted the senior DSS officer simply identified as Halilu, who was already at the hotel when the chief detail arrived alongside some policemen attached to the government house and a group of young people before whisking him away.”
The PUNCH had also reported how a video of the assaulted DSS personnel in torn kaftan dress being interrogated by some unidentified persons was shared across social media.
Reacting to the video, the DSS on April 16, said it was investigating the alleged attack on one of its staff members during the supplementary election in Adamawa State.
The development was made known by the spokesperson for the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, in a statement obtained by our correspondent.
Afunanya said, “The attention of the Department of State Services has been drawn to a trending video on social media in which someone suspected to be its staff was allegedly manhandled by some political miscreants in Adamawa State.
“This followed developments arising from the supplementary governorship election in the State. The service wishes to inform the public that it has commenced a full investigation into the circumstances that led to the incident.”
Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered that the DSS also arrested at least three supporters of the PDP at different locations in the state for alleged involvement in the attacks.
However, a High Court presided by Justice Christopher Mapeo, on Thursday, issued an order compelling the DSS to release the three detainees unconditionally.
The judge adjourned hearing of the motion on notice until the 3rd of May, 2023.
The spokesperson for the DSS, Dr Afunanya, did not respond to calls and text messages from our correspondent concerning the matter on Thursday night.
