The Department of State Services (DSS) has sacked another set of officers.
This time, those affected are in the cadet category.
Sixty-five of them, including a lady identified as a sibling of former spokesperson, Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, were dismissed while undergoing training at the State Services Academy (SSA) in Lagos.
They belonged to the Cadet Officers Basic Course 28 of 2014 codenamed COBC28/2014, a report by Daily Independent indicated.
The 65 officers had been in the academy since December 2014 for a 10-month training programme and were among a total of 420 trainees.
The report said the officers had gone through the three categories of their training were due for commissioning into the service as Senior Intelligence Officers (SIO) on October 26, 2015.
The letter of dismissal dated 4th September, 2015, was signed by GK Mohammed on behalf of the Director-General of the State Services, Lawal Musa Daura.
“I am directed to inform you that the Director General, State Services (DGSS) has approved the termination of your appointment from Service with immediate effect,” it said.
“You are, however, required to hand over all Government property in your possession, including your Study Guide/Note Books to the Director of Studies, State Services Academy (SSA), Lagos, and obtain appropriate clearance before your final exit, please.”
But the affected officers had undergone the mandatory three months attachment at the DSS state commands nationwide as well as the essential foreign intelligence programme, which took them to various countries where they were exposed to handling of high calibre weapons, detonation of bombs and all sorts of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).
In fact, some of the trainees returned in August from their foreign intelligence training in Israel, where they undertook special skill and intelligence gathering courses in counter-terrorism and insurgency.
Lamenting their fate, one of the trainees wondered the wisdom in sacking persons already exposed to several intelligence operations, including handling of offensive weapons.
He said that having gone through such rigorous training, government should have sent them to other security agencies in need of skilled manpower.
Another trainee said it was regrettable that all the knowledge and skills acquired in the academy may be useless, adding that government had wasted their time and efforts.
The dismissed personnel, however, disclosed that they would take their cases to the National Assembly.
