‘DSS Not Authorized By Law To Investigate Ifeanyi Ubah’ – IPOB
Ifeanyi Ubah, Capital Oil boss[/caption]
The Directorate of State, DOS, of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has said that the Department of State Services, DSS, is not authorized by the Nigerian law to arrest, detain or investigate the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah.
The group in a statement said that the DSS acted illegally as Ubah, who hails from Biafraland (South-East), committed an economic crime and should rather have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
IPOB in a statement, said: “On May 5, 2017, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, was arrested by agents of the DSS on the accusation of diverting/stealing petroleum products stored in his tank farm by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
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“The spokesman of DSS, Tony Opuiyo,was quoted as saying the following: “In line with the statutory mandate of the DSS to investigate economic crimes of national security dimension, the Service, on May 5, 2017, arrested Ifeanyi Ubah, Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited.
“The arrest was sequel to Ubah’s engagement in acts of economic sabotage which included stealing, diversion and illegal sale of petroleum products stored in his tank farm by the NNPC. So far, it has been established that the products stolen amount to over N11billion. There is no doubt that Ubah’s acts have the capacity to negatively impact on national economy.
“We now ask Mr. Tony Opuiyo what he meant by “In line with the statutory mandate of the DSS, to investigate economic crimes of national security dimension.
“How does “economic crimes of national security dimension” align with the responsibilities as clearly noted in the enabling Law of SSS? If the SSS (or their illegal derivative known as DSS) now undertakes investigation of economic crimes, then should the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, be disbanded?
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“Between the SSS and the EFCC, which agency is authourized by Law to investigate and arrest people involved in economic and financial crimes? We are compelled to ask if the SSS is now a debt-collecting agency instead of an agency charged with maintaining internal security? If Dr. Ubah behaves in such a way that his acts will “have the capacity to negatively impact on national economy,” is it the statutory responsibility of the SSS to jump in and execute an arrest?
“From the foregoing, it is crystal clear that the SSS erred by arresting Dr. Ubah. The SSS agents have overreached themselves and thereby acted illegally.
“The DOS therefore, urges the SSS to release Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah immediately and allow the appropriate agency, in this case the EFCC, to do their job.”
