HURIWA petitions EU, ECOWAS over alleged invasion by DSS

A pro-democracy and non-governmental organisation (NGO), Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has petitioned the European Union (EU), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and foreign embassies over invasion of its office by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

A statement signed by the National Coordinator of the association, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said: “A team from the DSS invaded our office and demanded to attend our media conference even when it was strictly an event in which only few media representatives from the print and electronic were invited by text messages. Although they didn’t show any sign that they want to harm us physically.”

According to him, two of these armed DSS officials who identified themselves as Mr. Victor (DSS) and Ike (DSS) alongside a couple of others from their head office and the FCT office said it was a “friendly visit”. “However, we became suspicious that this might just be a cover to decide if we should be prevented from holding the event and arrested.”

HURIWA said: “At exactly 11.45a.m barely 15 minutes to the commencement of a scheduled press conference on the theme of insecurity in Nigeria, a team of the Nigeria secret police known as the Department of State Services invaded our office and demanded to attend our media conference even when it was strictly an event in which only few media representatives from the print and electronic were invited by text messages.