The Department of State Services (DSS) has debunked in its entirety an online report published by the Daily Trust on 5th January 2023 with the headline: Court Stops DSS from Arresting INEC Chairman”.
According to a statement issued and signed by its Public Relations Officer, Dr. Peter Afunanya, ”the Service has discovered that the newspaper skewed what transpired at the Court and reported it out of context, and It is against this backdrop that the Service pointed out its disapproval to the Editorial authorities of the newspaper.
The media outfit which though argued that what was reported in its online version was different from the hard copy, promised to address the concerns raised but did not. This statement, however, becomes important to guide public understanding and perception, especially when the said report is misleading. It falsely left an impression that the Service went to Court against the INEC Chairman.”
The Service emphasized that it is very much aware of the antics of some mischievous elements who are desirous of fomenting crisis in the country, including creating unnecessary controversies around the forthcoming general elections.
”One of their strategies is to subvert the efforts of the Service in ensuring peaceful coexistence and harmony. Another is a determination to overheat the polity and subtly exploit the judiciary to distract or even undermine not only the Service but other security and law enforcement agencies from undertaking their constitutional roles.” the statement said.
The DSS, therefore, warned these individuals and groups to desist from their devious plans, while imploring all critical stakeholders to be vigilant and resist attempts to use them to thwart the law.
The Service assured Nigerians and the International Community of its commitment to the maintenance of law and order, including an accomplishment of a free and fair 2023 election as already pledged by President Muhammadu Buhari.