The State Security Services says it has freed Gordon Obua, the Chief Security Officer to the former President, Goodluck Jonathan. According to a statement released by PRNigeria, an organisation that handles press statements for Nigerian security agencies, Mr. Obua was released a few hours after his press conference on Tuesday where he debunked rumours of his death in the custody of the SSS.
According to the statement, the former Chief Security Officer was released at 10 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Competent security sources informed PRNigeria that Mr. Obuah slept in his house Tuesday night along with his family after a comprehensive de-briefing by operatives of the Department,” it said.
Obua’s lawyer, Mr. Andrew Itsekiri, had earlier written to the Director General, DSS, Lawan Duara, requesting that the former CSO be either released or charged to court without further delay, arguing that his continued detention without food and access to his medication poses grave risk to his life.
He claimed that Mr. Obua, who is diabetic and has a serious case of high blood pressure is being “sadistically” denied water, food and life sustaining medications.
However, following rumours that the detained security officer had died, the DSS presented Mr. Obua to the public on Tuesday afternoon at a press conference where he declared that he was hale and hearty, and that he was treated with dignity by the management and staff of SSS.
“I want to use this medium to tell Nigerians and members of my family that I am hale and hearty. I thank Nigerians and members of my family who have expressed very serious concern about my wellbeing in the last six days,” he said.
He clarified the condition for his detention: “As a serving officer of DSS and having completed my duty tour with the last President, the service felt that I should give a briefing of my stewardship.”
By Olisemeka Obeche
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