The Department of State Services (DSS) on Saturday dismissed as false a media report which claimed that the Chairman of the Presidential Election Tribunal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, was indicted for bribery and corruption by a certain Secret Memo of the Service.
The agency said the memo existed only in the imagination of the writers and should be roundly disregarded by the reading public.
Spokesman for the DSS Mr. Peter Afunanya accused the newspaper of publishing falsehood.
The Service stated it has launched a detailed investigation into the controversy surrounding the said publication.
Afunanya in a statement in Abuja said: “It is the wish of the Service that it is left out of the manoeuvres of politicians who are hereby advised to abide by the rule of law and respect the entire process of electoral litigations regarding the activities of the tribunal.
“The Service will continue to collaborate with the media as strategic partners in nation building and admonishes practitioners to be lawful and professional in the execution of their responsibility.”
It warned mischief makers intent on causing disaffection in the polity are should desist from such acts as the full weight of the law will be visited on defaulters.
The management of Authority Newspaper, in a statement, apologized for the publication.
It said publication was immediately withdrawn when the attention of the editor was drawn to the online platform publication on May 9th, 2019.
“Immediately the Editor noticed the said unauthorised publication, he ordered a pull-down of the said story from our online platform, which was complied with even before his invitation to your office.
“The staff member responsible was also sanctioned,” the newspaper said in a statement by the Managing Editor/Editor-in-Chief Mr. Madu Onuorah.
The Authority expressed an unreserved apology for the embarrassment the said story may have caused the DSS explaining “as a responsible media organisation, we have no intention to bring the DSS to disrepute, nor impinge on the integrity of the Justice.”
