Lawyer Inibehe Effiong says DSS doesn’t exist in Nigerian law, SSS lacks prosecutorial power amid El-Rufai’s phone-tapping case against NSA
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has raised concerns over the legal basis of charges against former Nasir El-Rufai in relation to the alleged tapping of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu’s phone.
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Key Points
1. Effiong states there is no legal entity called the Department of State Services (DSS) under Nigerian law.
2. The National Security Agencies Act recognizes only the State Security Service (SSS).
3.The SSS does not have prosecutorial powers, raising questions about the legitimacy of the charge.
4.Effiong argues that El-Rufai’s statement on Arise TV does not constitute an “extrajudicial confession,” as it was not made under caution.
5.The lawyer emphasizes El-Rufai’s constitutional right against self-incrimination.
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Effiong concludes that the charges appear problematic under Nigerian law, highlighting potential legal loopholes in the case brought against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged cybercrime.
