By Olaitan Ibrahim
Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) has given a Sokoto businessman who was accidentally shot during its operation some years ago the opportunity of medical treatment at its hospital in Abuja after paying N20 million as compensation to him.
The invitation of the victim to the DSS hospital for treatment was in fulfillment of a promise to give free medical services to him following the unfortunate incident that happened six years ago.
The invitation followed earlier approval of payment of ₦10 million damages awarded by a court to the businessman six years earlier in mid-March by the DSS Director- General, Mr. Tosin Ajayi.
Also, to compensate for time lost, the DG had handed the businessman an additional ₦10 million, bringing the total sum to ₦20 million.
At the time, Mr. Ajayi directed the DSS hospital to officially integrate the businessman into the Services’ medical care system, which would enable him to enjoy free medical services anytime he so desired.
A security source said the businessman arrived in the hospital “a few days ago, and has been undergoing free medical tests and treatment from the hospital’s best doctors.”
He said, “True to the DG’s directive, the man has been in the VIP ward which, of course, is fully air-conditioned. They have been running series of checks and giving him round-the-clock medical attention, in order to make him regain full control of his limbs. I even understand the DG asked that he be fed for free.”
In 2016, during a pre-dawn operation to arrest a suspected gunrunner in Jos, Plateau State, DSS operatives mistakenly shot and injured the businessman who incidentally bears the same name with the suspected gunrunner. The gunrunner was eventually arrested.
Two years after the shooting, in 2018, the businessman, through his lawyer, Idris Akibu, approached a Federal High Court in Bauchi. Delivering judgement on the matter with suit number FHC/J/CS/18/2018, the court, presided by Justice Muhammed Shittu Abubakar, ordered the DSS to pay ₦10 million in damages to the injured businessman.
“This is the third DG since this unfortunate case of mistaken identity happened. We were very happy when our new DG directed that we pay the money. He even added another ₦10 million to the victim’s money. It goes to show that, not only can security agencies be law abiding, we can also be full of the milk of human kindness,” the source declared.