The Department of State Services has denied arresting and detaining some Nigerians on the orders of some powerful citizens.
The secret police said that it has been following the Standard Operation Procedure on the Criminal Justice Administration.
The DSS was reacting to a comment by a former media aide to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Olusegun Adeniyi.
Adeniyi had in his column titled: ”Beyond Abba Kyari’s indictment” published on Thursday said hundreds of innocent citizens are currently languishing in police and State Security Services” detention centres following arrests ordered by powerful men and women.
However in a reaction by the spokesman of DSS, Peter Afunanya, on Thursday, said he couldn’t speak of for other security agencies but for the DSS, nothing of such exist.
He said, ” Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, without efforts to join issues with you on an opinion expressed by you in your article of August 5, 2021 on the above subject matter, the SSS takes exceptions to the part that states that “Hundreds of innocent citizens are currently languishing in Police and State Security Services detention centres across the country, following arrests ordered by powerful men and women”.
”This is not true. I do not speak for the Police but it is certain that no Nigerian or anyone for that matter is in the SSS/DSS custody on the order(s) of private citizens or persons. The SSS has a Standard Operation Procedure on the criminal justice administration.”
Afunanya, however, demanded immediate withdrawal of the statement made by Adeniyi, noting that security agencies deserved to be praised, respected and supported by the citizens.
He said, ”The media owes a duty, propelled by good conscience and the common good, to guide public narratives about some government agencies and their sacrifices to uphold security, peace and unity of this nation, Nigeria.
”The SSS should not be run down given the slightest opportunity. You had been at the commanding heights of governance and national security administration and management to understand issues so as not to misinform the public.
”It is unacceptable for a respectable columnist of your experience and status to make a sweeping statement like the one herein. It is misleading, inciting, denigrating, demeaning, misinforming and should be withdrawn.
”The SSS and indeed security agencies, if not praised, should be supported. The Organisation may not be perfect but it is doing so much for the Country. It respects and loves the citizens and residents and strives to serve them based on best practices, rule of law/engagement and a balance between rights and national security.”