In response to recent false reports and allegations against the Department of State Services (DSS), Rising-Up for a United Nigeria, a Coalition that oversees all youth organisations and middle-aged citizens in Nigeria has issued a stern warning to media groups, cautioning them against interfering with and blackmailing the DSS. The CSO’s statement comes after certain online media outlets, including SaharaReporters, Peoples Gazette, and Jackson Ude, published misleading narratives and accusations against the DSS.
In a statement signed and made available to journalists by Amb. Solomon Adodo, the National Coordinator of Rising-Up for United a Nigeria, the group decried the incessant attacks on the DSS by media houses who are obviously paid by corrupt cronies of accused persons desperate to cover the tracks of their patrons by swaying public opinion and portraying the DSS as an aggressor.
According to the statement, allegations such as the one attributed to SaharaReporters about the purported DSS operations at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) headquarters, allegedly carting away files from these agencies and the false claim about surveillance on Presidential Tribunal Judges and sundry issues by one Jackson Ude are jokes taken too far at the expense of national security.
The Peoples Gazette’s story on Senator Abdulaziz Yari is laughable and simply a product of junk journalism”.
The CSO, in its statement, emphasised that these allegations lack any factual basis or credibility and are merely figments of the creators’ imaginations, pointing out that the media outlets in question have a notorious reputation for peddling fake news, engaging in sensationalism, and practicing gutter journalism.
“It is clear that those publications are aimed at smearing the DSS and undermining its integrity and leadership. The accolades the DSS has received from the majority of stakeholders for its excellent performance and professional conduct in handling critical national issues must not be undermined by underdogs bent on evading justice”, the statement added.
While reaffirming its commitment to the rule of law, the Coalition emphasised that judging from antecedents, the DSS respects the independence and autonomy of other agencies, including the judiciary and legislature and will not be involved in any illegality, adding that, the Secret Police will also not shirk its responsibilities or allow detractors to hinder its statutory duties or lawful orders from constituted authorities.
According to the statement, “we know that the DSS is ever determined to act whenever the need arises. Those who try to thwart the DSS will face the wrath of the law henceforth. Similar plots were used against the DSS in the case of Emefiele in December 2022 when he and his minions explored every back hand tactics to blackmail and hoodwink the Service depite our efforts to dispel the false narratives. Others wanted for interrogation by the DSS have also explored this ignominious pathway. The Agency has the right to invite and question any Nigeria where necessary and must not be blackmailed. Those paid goons who have made it a duty to obstruct the DSS should desist or have our legal team to contend with”.
Rising-Up for a United Nigeria (RUN) finally called on the public to disregard these misleading stories, which aim to create disaffection within the country and tarnish the reputation of the DSS’s leadership. It expressed confidence in the DSS’s ability to address security challenges in Nigeria and urged the agency to remain focused and resilient in the execution of its duties.
