‘No Channels TV reporters arrested by DSS’



The Department of State Services (DSS) has said no Channels TV reporter was arrested by the service.


Reports in a session of media, Thursday, alleged that Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily Lead Anchor, Chamberlain Usoh, and his colleague, Kayode Okikiolu, had been arrested by DSS operatives.
The arrest allegedly followed anti-Buhari interviews hosted on the channel on Tuesday by Usoh alongside Okikiolu, who said to have been picked up this morning by operatives of the state security forces in connection with interviews with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state.


Ortom had during the interview, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of promoting a Fulanisation agenda.


Similarly, another guest, Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (retd.) during his interview on Channels also alleged that people who are high up in the Buhari’s government were sponsors of Boko Haram.


The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had, Wednesday, written Channels TV over alleged contravention of some provisions in the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.


The Commission alleged that the anchor of the programme didn’t interrogate the comments made by the governor thoroughly.


DSS in a reaction by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr. Peter Afunanya, in a press statement, Thursday in Abuja, said: “The attention of the DSS has been drawn to news making the rounds in some sections of the media that its operatives earlier on Thursday, August 26, 2021, arrested two journalists of Channels Television.
“This is false and misleading. Fake news peddlers should shun the act.”