The Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday invited former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode for interrogation over an allegation of a coup against the government.
Fani-Kayode, a spokesman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential campaign council is being quizzed over his claims that some presidential candidates alongside some generals are plotting to scuttle this year’s elections and carry out a coup against the government.
DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, confirmed the development in a terse statement on Monday.
“Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has been with the DSS since 9 am today 13/02/23 in response to the invitation extended to him by the Service,” he stated.
Earlier in the day, the former aviation minister in his Twitter handle confirmed the invitation in a statement, saying he has nothing to fear and will visit the Service
“I always honour their invitations when properly invited because that is the right and proper thing to do,” Fani-Kayode wrote on his handle.
“This is all the more so when it touches and concerns matters of national security which I take very seriously & when it involves agencies like the DSS who are professional and thorough in their methods and approach.
“I have nothing to hide and consequently I will present myself before the DSS this morning as I have been asked to do.”
“I am used to arresting, interrogation, detention, prosecution and so much more and have suffered these indignities on many occasions over the last 15 years,” he added.
“The most important thing now is not what happens to me but rather achieving the noble quest to ensure the election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as our next President. That is the mission that we must focus on because that is the only way to save our country.
“I hope that I will be at liberty & free to continue to play my role in that quest but if I am not and I am detained indefinitely or till the election is over so be it.”
The invitation extended to the former minister also followed a call by the special assistant, of public communications, to the Atiku/Okowa campaign council, Phrank Shaibu, who asked the DSS and other security agencies to invite Fani-Kayode to explain his insinuations of a coup d’etat by top army generals.
He stated, “Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered responding to Fani-Kayode who has over the years built a reputation of being an inveterate liar so much so that he was even publicly blacklisted by the Nigeria Union of Journalists after his disgraceful outburst at a journalist.
“However, allegations and insinuations of a coup should not be taken lightly given the fact that it is treason, an offence that carries the death penalty.
“While commending the Nigerian military for effectively rubbishing Fani-Kayode’s barefaced lie, we call on security agencies to invite him to shed more light on the allegations.”
