Sahara Reporters had done it again, embarking on a path of sensationalism and misinformation. This time, they falsely implicated a supposed Department of State Services (DSS) officer in a criminal case in Ebonyi State. The article claimed that Mr. Anyim Chukwudi Christian, allegedly serving in the Cross River State Command of the DSS, was involved in an attempted murder and had since "jumped bail" after a violent assault.
While the reported attack in Zike community, Kimakpa, in Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State which consumed the lives of innocent people is undeniably tragic, framing the violence solely as one-sided genocide may oversimplify a deeply rooted and complex crisis. The Plateau conflict has historically stemmed from longstanding tensions over land, identity, and resource control between indigenous farming communities and nomadic herders, which is often worsened by climate pressures, and perceived injustice for past incidents on both sides.
By Bako Abdul, from Kano
Growing up on the dusty streets of Sabon-Gari in Kano saw me take a liking to several newspaper columnists. One of these columnists is Sonola Olumhese. Perhaps, owing to his ability to deliver his message in simple yet flowery language not minding whose ox is gored, his penchant for delving into topical issues, or his sense of humour, I always found his columns delightful, educative and insightful.
A court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has fixed March 21 to begin definite hearing on a case of defamation filed by two officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The DSS officers had last October filed a defamation suit against SERAP after the organization failed to apologize for accusing the DSS officials of unlawfully invading its Abuja office a month earlier. Among the reliefs sought by the DSS officers are ₦5 billion in damages, an apology published on SERAP’s website, social media, and in national newspapers and TV Stations. In addition, was ₦50 million for legal costs and 10 percent annual interest on the N5 billion until payment is made in full.
The management of Guardian Newspapers Limited has apologized to the Department of State Services (DSS) over a story the newspaper house published portraying the secret police as meddling in the affairs of the Lagos State House of Assembly. Entitled "Lagos Assembly Crisis Worsens, Reveals Deeper Crack in State Power Dynamics," the newspaper claimed that several DSS operatives invaded the Lagos Assembly.
The Department of State Services, DSS, might not have gotten it all right in some of its operations over the years, paving way for unwarranted media fallacies on some unsolicited questions surrounding the professionalism of the DSS operations. The new gladiator piloting the affairs of the Service has sharpened its operation standard to its core responsibilities, promoting its integrity to covert strategies which it is established for. That is why it is pointless for an attention seeker like Omoyele Sowore to sneer against the DSS, as well as conscripting his followers to do the same in the name of activism.
