Department of State Services, DSS, yesterday, restored some of the security aides of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki

Nine of the 15 operatives were withdrawn on Sunday, but four have now been asked to return to work. The restoration of the security aides followed a series of interventions by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who expressed concern over the growing tension in the polity.

Recall that half of the DSS operatives attached to the Senate president’s office were withdrawn on Sunday, same day the police invited Saraki to answer questions over the Offa bank robbery of April 5, 2018, in which 33 persons, including a pregnant woman and 12 police officers, were killed.

Online platform, TheCable, learned that on Friday evening, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his decision to invite Saraki for questioning as a “person of interest” in the probe of the Offa robbery.

On getting wind of this, it was learned that Deputy National Chairman (North) of All Progressives Congress, APC, Lawal Shuaibu, swiftly sought audience with Osinbajo. Osinbajo had been due to meet with the leadership of the nPDP bloc, to which Saraki and Dogara belong, on Monday.

Dogara was to lead a team of five to discuss the grievances of the bloc, who claimed to have been marginalised, despite the role it played in helping APC win the 2015 presidential election. After Shuaibu’s meeting, Osinbajo, according to Presidency sources, also met with Buhari and expressed his worries that the efforts to reconcile the nPDP bloc might be compromised by the unfolding developments. Osinbajo then met with Idris and Lawan Daura, the DSS Director-General, on Monday, over the unfolding political crisis.

It was further gathered that the police were planning to also withdraw officers attached to Saraki, but the plan was shelved after the meeting. It was also resolved that while Saraki is not above the law, he should be given the benefit of respect as the nation’s number three citizen and allowed to respond to the allegations in writing.

Osinbajo’s proposal was accepted and police later announced that Saraki would no longer have to report physically but should send a written response “within 48 hours.” (Vanguard)