By Monday Ijeh
The Department of State Services (DSS) says it will not shirk its responsibilities or allow detractors to prevent it from undertaking its statutory duties or carry out lawful orders by constituted authorities.
The Public Relations Officer of the Service, Dr Peter Afunanya, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
He said the Service would remain focused, resilient, patriotic and professional in the conduct of its affairs.
Afunanya said the clarification followed false reports in sections of the online media that had variously and wrongly fed the public with misleading narratives and accusations against DSS.
According to him, apart from the online reports, there have been other variants of unsubstantiated and anonymous petitions flying around against the DGSS, his family and some officials.
He said the Service would not have responded to the inaccuracies but for the fickle minded and vulnerable persons as well as the unsuspecting public that might take the lies for facts.
Afunanya said the report that the Service stormed the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and carted away certain files from them was not true.
According to him, to set the records straight, the DSS did not execute operations of any kind at the ICPC and CCB or remove files from their offices.
“Instructively, the two agencies have, on their own, refuted the news in widely circulated press statements.
“It is petty, if not laughable, to report that Senator Abdulaziz Yari was invited for refusing to pick the President’s call as reported in some sections of the media.
“If Yari or anyone else is to be invited or taken into custody, the Service will not hesitate to do so as far as that is procedurally done within the confines of the law,” he said.
Afunanya enjoined the public to disregard the misleading stories, aimed at causing disaffection in the country and disparaging the Service’s leadership.
He assured that the service would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to address security challenges in the country in line with its mandate and the directives of the President.
(NAN)
