Ex-DSS boss Lawal Daura released from custody and touted as head of security for Buhari's re-election campaign

FORMER Department of State Services (DSS) director-general Lawal Daura has been released from detention and is being lined up to perform a major role in President Muhammadu Buhari's re-election campaign.

On August 7, Mr Daura was sacked by acting president Professor Yemi Osinbajo after operatives in his department stormed the National Assembly. Following his dismissal, Mr Daura was arrested and has been under house arrest since, being de-briefed as a former head of an intelligence agency.

After 64 days in custody, Mr Daura has now been released and his security aides have restored, with President Buhari expected to determine his fate over the coming weeks. Some of Mr Daura associates are pushing for a key role for him in the president’s re-election campaign, similar to that he held in 2015 when he was in charge of security.

One close source, said: “He was released on Tuesday and he has rejoined his family accordingly. During his de-briefing, he insisted that he acted in the national interest in deploying operatives in the National Assembly and he also described the allegation of being a mole in the government as utter balderdash.

"He protested what he described as his maltreatment by the government as the inspector-general of police Ibrahim Idris, in his report, claimed that Daura acted unilaterally, without informing the presidency, that he did not share or intimate other security agencies on the unlawful operations. It is left to President Muhammadu Buhari to decide whether  the ex-DSS boss has a case to answer but don’t forget that the sack of Daura was greeted with discordant tunes in the presidency and Buhari’s cabinet.”

Another source added that some members of President Buhari's kitchen cabinet still believe that Mr Daura should play a key role in the re-election campaign. He added that some have recommended him for intelligence back-up for the campaign but a few others have made a strong case for his return to security desk as was the case in 2015.