DSS denies arresting, detaining INEC staff over Atiku's 'server results'
Department of State Services (DSS) has denied reports that it arrested, detained 7 members of staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) over alleged hack of the server of the electoral body during 2019 polls.
- The DSS has denied arresting and detaining some members of the INEC ICT department for allegedly giving PDP and Atiku the electoral body's server identity number
- Spokesperson of the secret police Afunanya said at no time did the Service make such arrest
- He described as fake news reports that DSS arrested any INEC staff and warned Nigerians to beware of mischief makers
The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied reports that it arrested and detained seven members of staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) over alleged hack of the server of the electoral body during the last general elections.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) writes that a social media report had alleged that the DSS arrested some ICT staff of INEC.
The affected staff were said to have reportedly disclosed the commission’s server identity number to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate in the just concluded elections, Atiku Abubakar.
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But DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya denied this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, April 20.
According to him, the said report claimed further that the staff were detained and tortured for three days by the DSS to find out who among them gave out the information but were hurriedly released when their wives threatened to go public.
But Afunanya denied all these, saying: “The service wishes to state that the information in its entirety is false and should be seen as a calculated effort to smear its image.
”It states categorically that none of such things happened as it never invited or arrested any INEC staff.
“There is no iota of truth in these allegations and the public is, therefore, enjoined to disregard them. They are simply manipulative, misleading, inciting and can only be considered as mischievous and unpatriotic.”
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Additionally, Afunanya warned the mischief makers that cooked up the fake news to cause break down of law and order to stop it or else they would be brought to justice.
“The service will not condone deliberate acts of subversion and sabotage aimed at harming the peace of the nation,”he said.
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Recall that Legit.ng had reported that INEC recently reacted to the result released the PDP's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, which he claimed to have gotten from the commission's server.
In a response filed at the tribunal on Thursday, April 11 in Abuja, the electoral umpire accused Atiku of manufacturing results of the last presidential election to prove his case at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
But INEC distanced itself from an electronic sheet that Atiku claimed contained the genuine results of the presidential election.
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Source: Legit.ng