In the realm of Nigerian media, a storm of allegations surrounding blackmail and propaganda has emerged, with Mr. Jackson Ude taking center stage. Presently residing in the United States, Ude stands accused of exploiting his media platform to engage in a pattern of destructive behavior, tarnishing the reputations of those unfortunate enough to cross his path. Among his recent victims is the highly esteemed Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Alhaji Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

It baffles and often aches me how we got to this level of social media degeneracy in which publications are let loose in their wildest representations. Cautions are now thrown overboard on issues that require facts with zero consideration for the readers' intelligence. The situation becomes more unfortunate when one is the subject of writing. A post alleging that the Director-General State Services (DGSS), Yusuf Bichi, CFR embezzled palliative funds meant for the personnel of the Secret Service is already making the rounds on social media. However, a close friend who works in that organization revealed that no such funds have been received by the DSS. This makes me wonder how people like Jackson Ude who posted the defamatory piece on X feel comfortable writing untruths about others.

I felt really constrained to write this piece after reading a report of an article written by J.S Okutepa (SAN) in which the senior lawyer alleged that the State Security Service (SSS) is overstepping its boundaries and usurping Police and anti-corruption powers. The constraints was borne out of the legal weight of the personality involved. However, a tinge of common sense compelled me to make this submission on the issue thrown up by the 'learned' legal giant.

I read with chagrin a social media write-up captioned "RUMBLES IN DSS: CORRUPTION AND NEPOTISM IN NIGERIA'S SECRET SERVICE (DSS) AMIDST RETENTION OF MR YUSUF BICHI AS DIRECTOR GENERAL". The composition repletes with debased arguments exemplifying the very nature of our society in which many believe that to get to the top, you have to deploy all manner of character assassination to bring down the perceived stumbling block to your ambition.

I was not surprised when I came across a write-up by the Human Rights Writers' Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in which the body described as 'unacceptable' the sacking of all the Service Chiefs and sparing the Director-General State Services (DGSS), Yusuf Bichi, CFR by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. It didn't take me a split second to figure out that HURIWA's action was not carried out in isolation. There is a saying in the South West where I come from that, the drummers for the dancing water lilies we see on the surface of the water are actually beneath the water. Bichi should have expected this and more are certain to come. In the build-up to any general elections in Nigeria, especially when the incumbent President has served his two terms, hopes are usually high among high ranking officers in the military, the Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other para- military agencies with the possibility (usually a norm) of ascending to the highest rung of the ladder in the leadership structure. Such hopes were expected to be super high as we inched towards the last Presidential election, putting in mind the hues and cries from the general public about the perceived inefficiency of the country's security architecture, with many calling for leadership change in the military. 

As the dust raised by the 2023 general elections is beginning to settle, a mighty political wind is growing a speck of thicker dust with the potential to mar an amicable relationship between the incoming executive and leadership of the National Assembly. With the results from all, except a few, polling units declared, none of the four major political parties has a clear majority to form the leadership of the National Assembly. At the moment, about 35 House of Representative seats has not been declared because of the cancellation of results in some polling units across the federation.