BREAKING: Nigerian Secret Police, DSS, Arrests NELMCO Senior Staff Member After Demanding Probe Into Forged Signature, Challenging Alleged Misconduct Under MD Dekalu-Thomas

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested a senior staff member of the Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO), Nene Lily Emeya.

SaharaReporters has learned that the DSS arrested Emeya, the company’s Senior Manager, Risk Management, after calling for an investigation into the forgery of her signature on official court documents and publicly challenging alleged misconduct by the agency’s Managing Director, Mojoyinoluwa Dekalu-Thomas.

Sources within the agency told SaharaReporters that Emeya was picked up at her office on Monday morning by DSS operatives just hours before she was scheduled to appear before an internal disciplinary panel, which some staff members allege was a premeditated attempt to silence her.

“She was arrested by the DSS at her office after challenging the MD for several infractions,” one of the sources said on Monday.

“A query was given to her after she openly challenged the MD in the last meeting. She responded to the query and was scheduled to face a disciplinary panel today (Monday). Only to get there, and she was arrested by DSS.”

Emeya’s ordeal reportedly stems from her repeated demands that NELMCO investigate the forgery of her signature in official court processes, an issue she formally raised with the agency as far back as October 2024.

In a letter dated October 14, 2024, addressed to the Managing Director/Chief Executive through the Director of Risk Management, Emeya outlined several allegations, including the following: “In April 2024, I discovered that my signature had been forged on legal documents in a case where I was a witness. When I reported this serious issue to the General Counsel, Mr. Ugochukwu Ogbonna, no action was taken, and my complaint was ignored.

“Instead of investigating this forgery, I was transferred to Risk Management. This transfer appears punitive for raising concerns about the forged signature and my rightful annual leave. This history of victimisation, which urgently needs to be addressed, has led to the redeployment and transfer.”

In her written response to the internal query, dated June 25, 2025, and addressed to the Head of Administration and Human Resources, which SaharaReporters obtained, Emeya firmly denied all allegations of insubordination, use of abusive language, and making false claims against government officials.

Instead, she described the accusations as vague, malicious, and designed to discredit her.

“I am deeply alarmed and concerned by the content and tone of the query, as it portrays me in a very negative light,” Emeya wrote.

“I would like to state that the allegations levelled against me do not reflect my conduct or attitude as a public officer in the discharge of my duties and I therefore deny them.”

“They all appear vague and constitute a bundle of hearsay statements made by unspecified and unnamed individuals calculated to undo me,” she added.

Responding specifically to the charge of insubordination during a staff forum on June 19, 2025, Emeya stated: “At no point… did I engage in any form of unruly or insubordinate conduct. I contributed to the discussion professionally and respectfully... I did not, at any point, disrupt, disrespect, or challenge the Managing Director during the proceedings.”

On the accusation that she used derogatory expressions such as "Yoruba bastards", "bastard", "witches coven", Emeya said, “This is surprising to me. I have never used such expressions toward any member of staff. Furthermore, no member of staff has been specifically mentioned in the query as having had such altercations with me.”

Regarding the core issue of the alleged forgery of her signature, Emeya stood firm, saying, “This has not been investigated by Management till date. Neither have the lawyers handling the case or the court processes been investigated by Management to determine the truth or otherwise of the said forgery of my signature.

“Let it be known that all the letters I submitted with respect to this forgery… never mentioned any Public Officer within or outside the Agency as being responsible. Proclaiming the alleged forgery as a false allegation without any inquiry appears pre-emptive.”

Emeya concluded her memo by asserting her professionalism and integrity, saying, “I have consistently maintained a calm, professional demeanor in my interactions with my colleagues and I am unaware of any action or behaviour on my part that could be reasonably described as threatening, alarming or disruptive.”