Yusuf Magaji Bichi, DG, DSS

Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services, DSS, has denied reports that one of its operatives escaped from Kuje prison during attack on the facility by gunmen on Tuesday evening and was later caught while attempting to run away as reported by a national newspaper.

Peter Afunanya, Public Relations Officer, DSS, in a statement on Thursday evening, said no operative of the Service was an inmate at Kuje prison or was on special assignment there at the time of the attack.

He therefore described the report as false and misleading.

Afunaya asked the public to disregard the

His full statement reads: “The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to an online Vanguard newspaper report of 6th July, 2022 captioned: Kuje Prison Attack: One Suspect Reportedly Caught After Hot Chase by Gallant Officers.

“The said report alleged that one of the escaping inmates who “claimed to be a DSS personnel was apprehended by NCS operatives near Kwali after a chase.”

“The report further stated that the so called DSS operative also claimed to be “carrying out a special mission in the forest”.

“The Service wishes to state that none of its personnel was involved in the escape episode. In fact, at the point of the attack on the prison, no DSS personnel was an inmate at the holding facility just as the claim of carrying out a special assignment was non-existent. The Vanguard report is not factual and therefore misleading. The public is advised to disregard it.”