We don’t detain Nigerians on order of private citizens, says DSS

The Department of State Services (DSS) has refuted claims by Olusegun Adeniyi, former spokesman of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua that the agency was detaining citizens on the order of powerful Nigerians.

Adeniyi, who is the Chairman, Editorial Board of THISDAY, had on Thursday narrated the plight of Nigerians in detention, in a column titled: ‘Beyond Abba Kyari’s Indictment’.

Adeniyi had said: “Hundreds of innocent citizens are currently languishing in Police and State Security Services (SSS) detention centres across the country, following arrests ordered by powerful men and women.”

But in a reaction, DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, yesterday, said no Nigerian is in the secret agency’s custody on the order of private citizens or persons.

Afunanya described Adeniyi’s statement as “misleading, inciting, denigrating, demeaning and misinforming”, stressing that security agencies, if not praised, should be supported.

He said: “Dear 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 exception to the part that states, ‘Hundreds of innocent citizens are currently languishing in Police and State Security Services (SSS) 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 (SOP) on the criminal justice administration.”