The former DSS official, however, said the police and the governor, who is the chief security of the state, failed to act on the intelligence by the DSS.

Amachree stated this during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily today (Thursday).

InsideOjodu reported on Monday that suspected gunmen attacked the Owerri Correctional Prison in the Imo State capital and freed over 1800 inmates.

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma has blamed the recent attacks on security facilities in the state on aggrieved politicians who aim to destabilise his government and that of President Muhammadu Buhari.

But Mr. Amachree suggested on Thursday that such attacks, especially the Monday event, could have been averted if the police were on their toes.

“There is enough actionable intelligence; actionable in the sense that it allows for space for people to execute it,” he said.

“One week ahead of this particular event and 72 hours before the event and 48 hours before the event – so three times – the Nigeria police was informed that this was going to happen.

“Some suspects that were being geolocated around the area were found surveilling the prisons and the police headquarters.

“But you know, in our lackadaisical way, when the intelligence would come, they throw it by the side, and then of course when something happens, everybody runs around.”

Mr. Amachree said the DSS could not have acted on its own intelligence because it is not “a fighting force.”

“The actionable party is actually the police,” he said. “Because when they say a particular installation or facility is under threat, then the actionable party would go ahead to correct it.

“The DSS is not a fighting force. They have a protective department that is basically responsible for the security of persons, VIPS. But when it comes to fighting, they always liaise with sister agencies, either the police or the military.”

He stressed that “some people are just lazy to do their jobs” and advised that other states should learn from Lagos State.

“Lagos, the same intelligence has been coming around and of course they have been proactive.

“If it is happening in the North-East, it could happen in Lagos. (But) Lagos itself has taken proactive steps, especially when it comes to securing correctional facilities in the state. And I think that’s what other states should follow now because they can’t sit back and wait until it happens to them.”

Fashola alongside SouthWest governments and Ministers from the SouthWest had paid a condolence visit to the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over the wanton loss of lives and properties in the state after hoodlums hijacked the #EndSARS protest in the state. Among the places destroyed was the Lekki tollgates.

In an interview with Channels TV this morning, Amachree said the camcorder discovered by the Minister looked planted.

He said “After so many days, we saw a camcorder in plain view.  Are they saying that the camera was there and nobody knew about the presence of that camera? It was in plain view and the Minister went and removed it.  Who planted it? That is what we want to know. It was planted because there is no way. That Camcoder looks planted because there is no way that it will be plain view in one of the booths. How come it was there and nobody saw it. There are mobile phone providers that went there to look at their lines that were damaged. Nobody saw that camera. It is not so tiny. I am very interested in that camera. What is in it? Whoever planted it there must have also loaded it with something”

Amachree said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday.

He said the Attorney-General of the Federation remained the supervising authority over the EFCC just as the Department of Justice oversees the activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.

Amachree said, “I think Magu has some blame on his side. Apparently, he was operating as a law unto himself. He must be reporting to somebody. Even in the US, the FBI reports to the Department of Justice. In Nigeria, EFCC ought to report to the AGF who is now the originator of the allegations. When this thing came up, they knew he may not want to come, I don’t know, but he was stopped on the way to another meeting but they said he must go before the panel. He was accosted by policemen from the FCID. However, because they were policemen in plain clothes, many people thought it was the DSS.”

Magu has been in police detention since Monday responding to about 24 allegations. He is set to face a Presidential panel again today to answer more questions.