My experience in the hands of DSS men -Victor Ummeh

Chief Victor Umeh, ex chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance yesterday, narrated his 15-hour experience in the hands of the Department of State Services, DSS, operatives, who interrogated him in Abuja over allegations of supporting Biafra agitators and insulting President Muhammadu Buhari during his campaigns.

Umeh was arrested in Awka on Thursday morning and taken to Abuja by road where he was drilled on various issues bordering on treasonable felony.

After the interrogation, Umeh flew into Enugu, yesterday, where thousands of APGA supporters received and accompanied him to Awka where they held a reception for him at the party’s state headquarters.

Addressing reporters in Awka, Umeh denied being handcuffed during the journey to Abuja, adding however that anybody who saw what happened would think that the men of DSS had caught a coup plotter or a notorious criminal, as he was sandwiched by DSS operators throughout the trip to Abuja.

Narrating his experience Umeh the party’s senatorial candidate for Anambra Central senatorial rerun election said : “At about 2pm on Wednesday, I saw a text message from the Director of DSS in Anambra on my phone saying that he would like to have a chat with me. I have never been in a very close relationship with him and so I called him to find out if all was well.

“I told him I was to attend the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu involving me and he suggested that it was better I sent my lawyers to represent me. When I went, he welcomed me and a man came into the office and said they were taking me to Abuja as directed by the national headquarters of DSS. “We arrived Abuja by 7.15pm and they kept me until 11 pm when the head of interrogation came in and started asking me about my campaigns. I gave him details of my campaign itinerary and he said they have a report of all I said during the rallies.

“He brought out a file and reeled out allegations against me which he said were treasonable. Among the allegations were that I was insulting Mr. President and that I was mobilizing the youths and promoting Biafra agitation. They also said that I was talking about Fulani herdsmen and condemning their activities in my area.

“At a stage, he asked if there was another Victor Umeh and I said I was the only one contesting the senatorial election in the zone.

“I told them that these allegations were made by my opponents who felt the only way they could stop me was to fabricate such lies against me. I also told them that I couldn’t have been talking about herdsmen because there are no grazing areas in my senatorial zone as all the places were already built up.

“I also told them that the Republic of Biafra is defunct and there was no way I could be agitating for it or making it a campaign issue, reminding him that I hold the national honour of OFR which I am ready to defend anywhere. ‘After the interrogation, he took me to the Director General who read out the same allegations. At the end, we had a very fruitful chat anchoring on the need to maintain peace.

“The DG said they invited me because if those things credited to me were true, there could be a major problem in the country. In my presence, he called Governor Willie Obiano, who assured him that I would never have said all those things and urged them to release me as he could vouch for my integrity. At the end of the exercise, he told me it was over and it was the head of interrogation that even drove me to the hotel where I stayed.”

Umeh commended the people of Anambra State who trooped to the Enugu Airport to welcome him, assuring that he would never do anything that could tarnish the image of Igbo nation in Nigeria.