DSS does not force confessions from IPOB, ESN, others ― Spokesperson

The Department of State Services (DSS) debunked a report by Sahara Reporters that one of its personnel was allegedly involved in extrajudicial killings and extraction of forced confessions from suspects especially the members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN).

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the spokesperson of the Service, Dr Peter Afunaya in a reaction to the story titled, “EXCLUSIVE: Department Of State Services’ Officer, Samson Enweruzo Unveiled As Notorious For Forcing False Confessions Out Of IPOB Suspects, Involvement In Illegal Raids, Arrests, Extrajudicial Killings In South-East”

According to Afunaya, “There is no iota of truth in the so-called exclusive. The DSS does not force out confessions from suspects and has not done so in the matter of IPOB and ESN.

“The Service is a professional agency that follows the rules of engagement and standards operating procedures in all of its activities. It does not take laws into its hands. It is public knowledge that it has by, today, charged many suspects to court in line with democratic norms.

“The entire reportage is a figment of the imagination of the news medium. Its aim is to simply malign the Service and bring it to disrepute. By now, everyone should have been aware of the brand of guerilla journalism practised by this particular outfit. The public should  ignore the report wholly” 

The report had alleged that “An operative of Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), identified as Samson Enweruzo is behind some of the extrajudicial killings and brutalisation of people in the South-East, in the name of finding Biafran agitators, Sahara Reporters has learnt.”

According to it, “Enweruzo, who hails from Imo State,  further learnt, was involved in the invasion of the home of one Chuks Egwuatu and the illegal arrest and torture of four of his (Egwuatu’s) siblings.

“SaharaReporters had reported how secret operations suspected to be targeted at eliminating Igbo youths started on Monday, 8th November 2021 when security agents invaded the house of Egwuatu at Asha Street, Topland Amechi Road, Enugu State, by 5 pm with the aim of taking him away secretly for elimination without a trace

“A civil society group, the International Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights Initiative (Intersociety), had drawn attention to the illegal raid in a letter to the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, dated November 10, 2021.

“The group had also sent copies of the letter to the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, Amnesty International and other organisations, detailing how four siblings of Egwuatu, including a minor, were arrested when the security operatives could not find him.

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