The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday denied the illegal detention of innocent Nigerians under excruciating conditions and “routinely tortured” as being alleged by a section of the Media.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday by its Spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanya, the Service pointed out that of specific mention were Abubakar Idris (aka Dadiyata) and Agba Jalingo said to have been arrested in Kaduna and Cross River states respectively by the Service.
According to the statement, “these allegations, to say the least, are spurious and can only be taken for what they are deliberate and subversive campaigns of calumny to undermine the Service and cast it in bad light before the public.
“That Idris was taken away from his house by some armed men does not suggest that those men were DSS staff.”
It pointed out that it was expected that the media organisations concerned should have properly conducted their investigations before holding the Service responsible for the acts it did not commit.
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According to the statement, “for the sake of emphasis, the Service has no reasons to deny its arrest and detention of suspects if actually it carried out operations during which such persons were arrested.
“It is not out of place for security and law enforcement agencies to arrest and detain lawbreakers or those suspected to be.
“The arrest and detention of suspects are procedural and undergo continuous review. In certain conditions, some are routinely questioned and released while others are granted administrative bail. Some who are still under investigation or already undergoing prosecution are held on the basis of Court orders.
“Suspect handling is a critical aspect of the Service’s responsibility and this is taken seriously without any form of compromise. It diligently carries out this function in strict compliance with the criminal justice administration system and intelligence governance procedures absolutely necessary for consolidating democratic ideals in Nigeria.
“It is, however, important to state that suspects in the Service’s detention are not ‘routinely tortured’. Such accusation by the Punch or any other media outfit for that matter is only imaginary and creation of the concerned newspapers.
“It is, therefore, disappointing that the concerned Media organisations would use screaming and sensational headlines to negatively profile the Service.”
The Service while promising to continue to maintain to a robust collaboration with stakeholders, especially the media in the course of performing its constitutional duties stated categorically that it would henceforth, not condone acts of misrepresentation and falsehood against it and in this regard would explore legal options to seek redress.
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