Authorities of the Presidential Villa, Abuja have formally removed officials of the Department of State Services from spots where they can perform “close protection roles” for President Muhammadu Buhari.
Punch Newspaper correspondent on Thursday saw a copy of a memo redeploying the DSS officials from 10 beats that they had hitherto been manning inside the Villa.
The memo issued by the Aide-De-Camp to the President, Lt. Col. Lawal Abubakar, and dated June 24, 2015 was titled, “Redeployment of Department of State Services personnel from close protection roles for Mr. President and some duty locations within the Presidential Villa, Abuja.”
Abubakar explained that the decision to strip the DSS officials of their roles was part of efforts to enhance security within the villa.
He said the development was necessitated by “recent events.”
He however did not disclose what the events were.
The ADC directed personnel of the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police who he said were trained as presidential body guards to take over the DSS officials’ duties of providing “close and immediate protection” for the President with immediate effect.
He listed the beats and locations from where DSS officials were withdrawn and replaced with PBGs to include the administrative reception and passage; service chiefs’ gate; residence reception; resident gate and office reception.
“However, the personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security forces are to man other duty beats and locations within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa,” the ADC wrote.
