South Sudan's National Security Service dispatched personnel to surround the house of opposition leader Lam Akol since about 9:00 p.m. last night. The reason behind the move is unknown, according to the political party that he leads, SPLM-DC.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj this morning, Parliament Minority Leader and SPLM-DC leading member Onyoti Adigo Nyikwec said he doesn’t know why is the government is doing this. If the purpose was for his own security then they should have informed Lam Akol first rather than just surrounding the house, he said.

“It was actually very unfortunate incident happened according to what I learnt last night around 9 p.m., the security they surrounded the house with four vehicles on the four corners of the house but they did not ask anybody in the house,” he said.

“Until this morning these people were there and the car of the chairperson went out for fuel but they didn’t prevent him until they come back,” Adigo said.

“Yes, I talked to Dr Lam this morning he said when he saw this situation he consult with the minister for security and he promise to get back to him until now he did not get back to him. We don’t know what is happening,” added Adigo.

Meanwhile, Lam Akol has given several interviews by phone to media houses who contacted him since last night including the BBC. He told the British news service, “Security operatives are around the house and they have closed all the roads leading to the house.”

“Some of them are in the cars and some of them are around the building,” he said, noting that none of them had approached him to tell him what they were doing there.

Lam acknowledged he has been critical of recent government decisions for example to spend tens of millions on upcoming independence day celebrations saying, “There is nothing to celebrate.”

He also gave an interview this morning to the UN radio in South Sudan, Radio Miraya, saying it is his “constitutional right to be free” and he “will not go quiet.”

Lam Akol hails from Upper Nile State.