The Department of State Services on Thursday described the allegation of undue interference in the Rivers State Elections Petitions Tribunal as a blatant lie by the lawmakers in Rivers State.
The Rivers State House of Assembly lawmakers had petitioned the Senate over alleged undue interference of the DSS in the state’s elections petitions before the tribunal sitting in Abuja.
But in response, the DSS, in a letter dated August 6, obtained by our correspondent, informed the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, that at no time was any staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission arrested or detained as alleged by the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The position of the DSS was authored by its Director of Operations, Bassey Etim, on behalf of the Director General, Lawal Daura.
The Services said its only concern in the matter was national security.
Etim said: “It is necessary to state unequivocally that at no time did the Service invite any Judicial officer or member of the Rivers State Election Tribunal for questioning concerning their handling of election petitions pending before them or for indeed any other matter. Consequently, the Service invited the complainant in this case to provide evidence of such invitation as to names, date and time.
“Further, while it is true that the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Rivers State and some of her staff were orally invited to assist the Service in its investigation, neither she nor any of her staff was arrested or detained as alleged.
“It is necessary to clarify that the Service is quite within it in its investigation and all responsible persons would have no qualms about responding positively to such invitation.”