Yuletide: DSS Urges Nigerians To Promote Peace

Reading Time: 2 minutes

As the yuletide season approaches, the Department of State Services, DSS, has asked Nigerians to conduct their activities in ways that promote public peace and safety as it takes steps in concert with sister security agencies to maintain law and order across the country.

The agency also pleaded with community, religious and political bodies to preach peaceful coexistence, tolerance and unity as well as enlighten their members on safety measures during and after the season, so as to prevent criminal elements, who may want to capitalise on the festivities to wreak havoc or harm unsuspecting members of the public.

Spokesman for DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, in a statement, yesterday, also appealed to political actors to play the game according to the rules of engagement while on their campaign rallies and avoid fake news, hate speech, violence and acts inimical to national security.

The service also enjoined players in the socio-economic sector to avoid manipulative tendencies that could result in undue price hikes, artificial scarcity of products/goods and situations that may lead to heightened tensions.

Afunanya said: “To sustain national stability, the Service will continue to carry out its duties and responsibilities in line with global best practices as they affect human rights and rule of law. This is despite calculated efforts by some interest groups to create impression that persons arrested by the Service are either not taken care of or denied access to their families and/or legal representatives.

“It is instructive to note that the Service has a Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, on suspect handling. It considers this and general care of suspects sacrosanct and a priority. This can undoubtedly be attested to by those that had passed through its holding facilities.

“For every suspect under its detention, the Service allows a family and/or legal representative, who fulfilled all the processes and clearance procedures, access to such a suspect. The public may note that the Service does not carry out illegal arrests or undertake enforced disappearances of innocent persons. It also does not operate illegal detention camps.

Its operations and activities are rule-based and governed by transparent and accountable legal processes. The DSS, therefore, enjoins those opposed to its lawful position on issues to approach the court for redress.”