Anti-Buhari Interviews: We Didn’t Arrest Channels TV Presenters — SSS

The Department of State Services has denied arresting two
Channels Television reporters over alleged anti-Buhari comments
made by two guests during the station’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast
programme.

DSS Spokesman, Peter Afunanya, disclosed this in a statement on
Thursday titled, ‘No Channels Television Reporters Were Arrested By
The DSS’.

Media reports (not TheNigerialawyer) had it that two presenters
of the programme, Chamberlain Usoh and Kayode Okikiolu, were picked
up by the secret police after separate interviews with the Benue
State Governor, Samuel Ortom; and a former Navy Commodore, Kunle
Olawunmi.

But Afunanya said, “The attention of the DSS has been drawn to
news making the rounds in some sections of the media that its
operatives earlier today (26th August, 2021) arrested two (2)
journalists of Channels Television. This is false and misleading.
Fake news peddlers should shun the act.”

Meanwhile, the National Broadcasting Commission “invited” the
presenters to its Abuja office on Thursday over the two separate
interviews by Ortom and Olawunmi.

The NBC also queried Channels Television over the “inciting,
divisive and unfair comments” made by Ortom on the programme on
Tuesday. Ortom had said he was disappointed with the way the
Presidency is handling the nation’s security challenges while
Olawunmi had alleged that current members of the Buhari cabinet are
Boko Haram sponsors.

The NBC had in May slammed a fine of N5million each on Channels
TV and Inspiration FM Lagos for alleged infractions of the
broadcasting code.

Channels TV had featured the spokesperson for the proscribed
Indigenous People of Biafra, Emma Powerful, on its ‘Politics Today’
programme.

The Department of State Services has denied arresting two
Channels Television reporters over alleged anti-Buhari comments
made by two guests during the station’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast
programme.

DSS Spokesman, Peter Afunanya, disclosed this in a statement on
Thursday titled, ‘No Channels Television Reporters Were Arrested By
The DSS’.

Media reports (not TheNigerialawyer) had it that two presenters
of the programme, Chamberlain Usoh and Kayode Okikiolu, were picked
up by the secret police after separate interviews with the Benue
State Governor, Samuel Ortom; and a former Navy Commodore, Kunle
Olawunmi.

But Afunanya said, “The attention of the DSS has been drawn to
news making the rounds in some sections of the media that its
operatives earlier today (26th August, 2021) arrested two (2)
journalists of Channels Television. This is false and misleading.
Fake news peddlers should shun the act.”

Meanwhile, the National Broadcasting Commission “invited” the
presenters to its Abuja office on Thursday over the two separate
interviews by Ortom and Olawunmi.

The NBC also queried Channels Television over the “inciting,
divisive and unfair comments” made by Ortom on the programme on
Tuesday. Ortom had said he was disappointed with the way the
Presidency is handling the nation’s security challenges while
Olawunmi had alleged that current members of the Buhari cabinet are
Boko Haram sponsors.

The NBC had in May slammed a fine of N5million each on Channels
TV and Inspiration FM Lagos for alleged infractions of the
broadcasting code.

Channels TV had featured the spokesperson for the proscribed
Indigenous People of Biafra, Emma Powerful, on its ‘Politics Today’
programme.