Apo killings: AGF, SSS, NHRC in close talks

There are strong indications that the Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN has waded into the Apo killings that has resulted in a sour relationship between the Department of States security service, DSSS, and the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, for out of court settlement.
A highly placed source in the office of the AGF yesterday told Nigerian Pilot Saturday that the presidency has directed the minister to resolve the matter amicably between the two government agencies.
According to the source, Adoke will soon summon a close door meeting between the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe and the DG of DSSS, Mr. Ita Ekpeyong for a possible settlement.
A federal high court in Abuja, had given legal backings to moves by the Department of the State Security Services, DSS, to quash the report of the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, NHRC, on the killings of eight squatters at an uncompleted building in Apo District of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, on information that the squatters were members of the Boko Haram.
Already, the court presided by Justice Gabriel Kolawole has ordered a stay of execution of the 83-page report, which indicted the Nigerian Army and the Directorate of State Security, DSS, for the murder of the squatters on September 20, 2013.
In the report, the Commission said the security agencies had “no credible evidence” to tag the eight youngsters killed last September as agents of Boko Haram terror group.
But not satisfied, the DSS through its counsel, Chief Solo Akuma, SAN has approached the court for an order of certiorari to quash the report of the NHRC released on April 7, 2014 on the grounds that the Chairman of the
Commission, Professor Chidi Anselem Odinkalu, who was also the Chairman of the Public Inquiry has deep seated bias and animosity against the DSS as a result of his unsuccessful bid to get a federal high court sitting in Lagos to declare its acts in seizing the passports of his wards sometimes in 2002 as unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional and award damages against the applicant.