Gordon Obua, former chief security officer to former President Goodluck Jonathan, says he is not dead, contrary to widespread rumours. At an impromptu press briefing on Tuesday afternoon at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS), told journalists that he was “alive and well”, and had been well taken care of by his employers, the DSS. He said at the briefing: “Gentlemen of the press, let me use this opportunity to thank all Nigerians, members of my family and concerned citizens who have expressed very serious concerns for the past six days because of the prevailing situation between I and my office. “This morning my attention was drawn to the fact that I have died in detention. This has caused serious anxiety within the public. I want to use this medium to tell Nigerians, members of my family and all concerned citizens that I’m healthy. I’m a staff of the Department of State Services and having completed my tour of duty as the chief security officer to the last President, the service feels that I should give account of my tenure. “So far, there is no adverse situation and I’m optimistic that Nigerians will be informed in due course about the outcome of this exercise. Once again, I thank you immensely. I also want to use the opportunity to thank the DG for the way he has handled me from the time I came in to the present moment. “Nigerians should be assured that the Department of State Service is a very responsible organization and I believe that nothing adverse will be done to my person if I have not done anything wrong. I thank you very much.” When reporters were trying to ask questions, he replied: “Once a scout, is always a scout. I’m a member of the State Security Service and I’m still in service. I have limitations in addressing the press. I crave for your understanding.” His statesmen ran contrary to the statement of his lawyer, Andrew Itshekiri, who had said that he was detained in a Gestapo fashion. Obua, who has been in DSS custody since July 16, is yet to be charged for any offence. His family earlier accused Lawal Daura, DG of the DSS, of plotting to watch him “die in detention”. Obua embarked on hunger strike to protest the conditions of his detention, such as alleged denial of access to outsiders, including his doctor, lawyer, family members and – as claimed by his lawyer – his medications for hypertension and diabetes. After he fell in on Monday, he was reported in some quarters to have died.
