DSS shields killer operative, keep mum about killing

Jude Owuamanam, Jos

More than 24 hours after an operative of the Department of State Security allegedly killed a final year student of the University of Jos, the department has yet to hand the suspect over to the police for prosecution.

Twenty four-year old Paul Hezekiah, said to be on industrial attachment at a phone shop along Ahmadu Bello Way, Jos, was said to have been gunned down by the operative during a raid by the DSS at the popular GSM phone market over a missing handset.


Hezekiah was said to have died after losing too much blood as a result of the gunshot.
The Police Commissioner in Plateau State, Mr. Adekunle Oladunjoye, told our correspondent in an interview in Jos on Thursday, that the police were at a loss over why DSS had kept mute over the matter since the case became a public issue.

He said that he had asked the homicide department of the police to write to the DSS requesting the release of the suspect for questioning and possible prosecution.

The CP said, “The case was reported at the ‘A’ Division and we had expected DSS to hand the suspect over to the police since it became a public knowledge. But I have asked the CID to formally write to DSS to release the suspect to us for questioning.”

All efforts to get the reaction from the DSS since the incident happened had proved abortive. The agency had stayed silent since Hezekiah was killed.

As news of the killing spread, however, the agency stationed armoured personnel careers at the entrance of their office and at the scene of the incident.

On Wednesday, hundreds of traders had protested at the State House of Assembly where they showed their disapproval over the incident and the inability of DSS to bring the culprit to book.