Despite much efforts by government, security forces and agencies to have synergy by which they partner with media in ensuring a “Say No To Fake News” programme, some media particularly in the digital sector have allegedly refused to yield as they are said to be unrepentant in serving as channels for rumours and fake news mongering to thrive in the country.
This observation by some of our respondents is coming as the Spokesman of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Peter Afunaya, debunked a yet another fake news which has trended for two days now that former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Ota Farm had been surrounded by his Service and operatives of other security agencies with a view to arresting him.
It will be recalled that Daily Independent Newspaper quoting ThePointerNews had reported (online) on Friday that the SSS “has barricaded the country home of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in an attempt to arrest him. The DSS want the former President to defend his allegations raised in accusing Buhari of plotting to use Boko Haram, herdsmen to Islamize Nigeria”.
In the report titled “DSS Barricades Obasanjo’s Ota Farm Over Islamisation Comment”, the media report cited Obasanjo’s comment delivering a lecture in Delta State on the topic, “Mobilizing Nigeria’s human& natural resources for national development and stability” during which he reportedly also said both Boko Haram and herdsmen acts of violence were not treated as they should at the beginning. It recalled the former President said, “They have both incubated and developed beyond what Nigeria can handle alone. They are now combined and internationalized with ISIS in control.
The report also said the DSS noted that it is necessary for Obasanjo to come to the commission office to answer questions on the weighty allegations leveled against the Government of Nigeria, adding that “Currently, the DSS has surrounded the farmland of Olusegun Obasanjo to arrest him.”
It is false report – SSS
But the State Security Service (SSS), in an exclusive telephone interview with The DEFENDER Newspaper Saturday night, debunked the reports as yet another fictitious media effort that is false in its entirety.
Speaking during the fact-finding mission leading to the telephone interview, the Service’s Spokesman, Mr. Peter Afunaya said neither the SSS Ogun State Command nor at the national headquarters sent its staff to surround Obasanjo’s Farm house in Ota talk less that there was any such plot to arrest the former president for whatever reason.
“It is not true. In fact it is false in its entirety. They have been circulating it since day before yesterday (Thursday) but it is not true and it is false in its entirety,” the Afunaya said.
Speaking more bodly, the SSS spokesman said: “Please you can quote me in the platform, in fact you can carry the story that we have debunked it, that you have called the SSS spokesman and he said it is not true.
“Both the SSS in Ogun State Command and the SSS at the national headquarters didn’t carry out such operation. There is no person, SSS did not send its staff his (Obasanjo’s) farm to arrest him.
“There is never a planned action to arrest Obasanjo,” Peter Afunaya, SSS Spokesman told The DEFENDER.
We however gathered that Obasanjo’s media had also reacted to the media report saying his boss was not even in the country talk less he was being surrounded in a farm house to be arrested.
Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, said in a report that the former President is currently out of the country and made further comments to show that he was not aware of any ongoing siege on his boss’ home either in Ota or Abeokuta, both in Ogun State.
