The State Security Services (SSS) has reacted to reports of its operatives laying siege at the premises of Premium Times.
The security agency was reported by national dailies as laying siege at the premises of the online news medium.
One of the publication claimed operatives from the SSS visited the private residence of Musikilu Mojeed, who is the editor of the news agency.
Last week, reports alleged that the service codenamed Department of State Services (DSS), was after an investigative journalist, Samuel Ogundipe, attached to Premium Times.
The journalist was allegedly declared wanted over a secret memo he published exposing the rift between Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari and Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser (NSA).
The investigative report revealed that the memo was written by the NSA to service chiefs, warning them against taking orders from the president’s chief of staff.
In denying the recent development, the security agency in a statement on Sunday, described the report as fake news.
“The report that the DSS is laying siege on Premium Times and has hacked the phones of one of its staff is false in its entirety. It is unfounded and just a needless sensationalism,” the spokesman of the SSS, Peter Afunanya, said.
“There is no such operation at the moment by the Service targeted at the Premium Times, its Editor or staff. If there is any need for the DSS to discharge its duty, it sure has to do that with every sense of decency and in accordance with laid down procedures.
“Now, the Service is not anywhere near the news agency. Therefore, the report should be disregarded. It is fake news,” he added.
