Fact-Check: Did DSS, American Soldiers Arrest Suspected Terrorists in Abuja Estate?
Claim: A widely published media report stated that one Adewale Adenaike, of Phase 3, Trademore Estate, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had told newsmen how officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) and some American soldiers arrested a suspected terrorist in his community.
Full Text: Mr. Adenaike who is the chairman of the estate said he was informed by the officers that they were after a member of the community who is suspected of “terrorist activities”.
“It happened on Monday. We were in our houses when our estate was locked up. Nobody going out, nobody coming into the estate. As the chairman, I came out to find out what was happening in the estate. I discovered it was a sting operation by our DSS and some American soldiers, and it was alleged, I repeat, it was alleged, right, that they were looking for somebody who had suspected terrorist activity, it was alleged as such,” Adenaike said.
Verification: To verify if there was any ongoing collaborative operation between the DSS and American soldiers, PRNigeria Fact Check reached out to DSS. Attempts to speak with the spokesperson of the domestic intelligence service, Dr. Peter Afunanya was abortive. Meanwhile, PRNigeria received a short message from a very senior officer of the service with reads: “We have no confirmation to make please.”
PRNigeria then reached out to the other military and security sources who debunked the possibility of such operations with foreign troops in Abuja and vehemently denied knowledge of any stinge operation involving American soldiers.
“Such things don’t just happen, it can only be fake news. Abuja is not a frontline like Lake Chad where we have joint operations with other countries, especially with our neighbors. Even so, what is the job of the military then?”
However, Daily Trust initially reported that “Terror Threat: American Soldiers Raid Abuja Estate”. A few hours after its initial report, the national newspaper changed the headline to “UPDATED: Security Operatives Raid Abuja Estate Amid Terror Threat” raided the estate, removing the “American soldiers,” and informing readers that in an editor’s note that the “story was updated in view of new fact.”
Meanwhile, another top military officer who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter confided in PRNigeria that there are similar campaigns being escalated recently to prove the recent public posturing of some foreign missions right.
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“Some funny incidents will soon be escalated just to support recent security alerts by some foreign missions. Some schools and malls are now being shut down in Abuja over flimsy excuses of security threats”
Precedence:
PRNigeria can confirm that in the past, there had been similar reports orchestrated by some interests which nevertheless featured prominently on front pages of National Dailies. One such was the front pages of the Vanguard and other newspapers in May 2014 which claimed that the “US Marines Located Abducted Chibok Girls and arrested Boko Haram Commanders,” with pictures that later turned out to be false. The reports can be accessed on Naija Gists and News Day.
Insiders in security and intelligence circles later confirmed that the accompanying photos were released to the Nigerian media by some agents.
Immediately after that report in 2014, the Nigerian military debunked it, saying there were never arrest or operation by any foreign military or security allies in the then efforts to rescue the abducted girls or conduct the then counter-terrorist campaign in Nigeria, as reported by national dailies at the time.
In a statement, the spokesman for the military, Major General Chris Olukolade, had stated categorically: “Contrary to the reports and the pictures being circulated online to illustrate the claims, there has been no incident or record as reported.
“No troop of the American Marines has so far been deployed in any part of Nigeria as is being circulated in certain media.
“International coalition is quite appropriate in handling terrorism being a trans-border and global crime. The public will be duly briefed on the areas of collaboration with allied forces in the mission to bring back our girls as the need arises. There is therefore no need to engage in misleading speculations while the mission is in progress.” General Olukolade who is now retired had stated in the statement.
Conclusion: Based on the facts gathered by PRNigeria, there is NO SUBSTANTIAL evidence to prove that American soldiers arrested anyone in Abuja.
By PRNigeria
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