Youths, under the aegis of Arewa Youth for Progress and Development (AYPAD), have joined many other Nigerians and groups in condemning “in its entirety, the alleged invasion of Akwa Ibom Government House, Uyo, by men of the Department of State Services (DSS).”

In a strongly-worded statement, signed and issued in Kaduna on Wednesday by the organisation’s national president, Danjuma Bello Sarki and national secretary, Alhaji Usman Abdulhamid, the group challenged the DSS to publish any evidence it may have, to confirm their findings in the action, stressing, “Harassing, destroying properties and intimidating staff and innocent visitors in the building for several hours without finding a single weapon or stacks of cash, is an open mockery of their assumed profession.”

The statement, made available to journalists in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, stated: “The leadership and members of our organisation, after carefully following the recent news of the raid of the Akwa Ibom Government House, Uyo, by men of the Department of State Services (DSS), and critically analysing the dangers it portends to the entrenchment of the rule of law and sustenance of a virile democracy in our country, we hereby emphatically condemn the action in its entirety, and call on the DSS to apologise for the embarrassment it has caused the government, the good people of Akwa Ibom State, and indeed the entire nation.”

“This action is unacceptable, and calls to question the capacity of the current DSS leadership to gather and analyse intelligence effectively in this challenging period of our nation’s history,” adding, “What baffles us the most is the lack of civility and unprofessional manner they carried out their operation.

The Arewa Youths, maintained, “If for whatever reason, there was a need to conduct such search on the Governor’s House, which is the seat of power that harbours the office and residence of the governor, who is covered by immunity by the virtue of Section 308 of our constitution, the most honourable and professional way to follow was to intimate the governor of their intention, and seek his cooperation as the chief security officer of the state, rather than engaging in a Gestapo-like operation.”

The group further stated: “The nature of the invasion is surprising, shocking and unbelievable; it makes mockery of our democracy. We cannot fathom this crass effrontery on the privacy of the chief security officer of a federating unit of our federation, for no just cause.”

“This very act by the Lawal Daura-led DSS, is one too many; it is gradually demonstrating is penchant for impunity, disregards for the rule of law and professionalism. This is beginning to give the impression that they are being used as a tool at the disposal of some faceless politicians to settle meaningless political scores.”

“We wish to use this medium to urge President Muhammadu Buhari to call them to order, as their conducts are apparently projecting his administration in bad light before the eyes of Nigerians and the international community as a whole, in order to save our nation from drifting back to the abyss,” the AYPAD warned.

•Photo shows Akwa Ibom Government House