The spokesman of the Department of State Services (DSS), Peter Afunanya, says the report that the service dispersed doctors attending a recruitment exercise organised by Saudi Arabia in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was published to embarrass the institution.
Afunanya, in a statement on Friday, while dismissing the report, stressed that there was never a time its operatives dispersed any group of people, adding that it did not arrest any journalist in the process.
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A report emerged on Friday morning that the operatives of the secret police besieged Sheraton Hotels, Abuja, the venue of the recruitment exercise, and dispersed the doctors seeking greener pastures.
There were also reports that a journalist was arrested in the process, but was later released.
Reacting to the report, the spokesman of the secret police described the reports as “falsehood being circulated in the media”.
”The attention of the Department of State Services has once again been drawn to a falsehood being circulated in the media that it dispersed doctors attending a Saudi Arabia organised job interview at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, yesterday 26th August 2021.
”Though this is illogical and does not add up, sections of the media that reported it did not care to verify the news before going to print.
“No further evidence was also adduced to prove that the DSS carried out such operation at the hotel.
”It is obvious that the news is only designed to embarrass the Organisation.
“Journalists and other media practitioners are enjoined to crosscheck their facts and ensure that they do not use their platforms to mislead the public or undermine national security.”