By Abdallah el-Kurebe
On Tuesday, the Department of State Services (DSS) confirmed inviting the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Femi Fani-Kayode, for questioning over his tweets on matters of national security.
Recall that Fani-Kayode had announced in a statement Monday morning that he received an invitation over his tweets on an alleged coup plot from the DSS and would honour it.
The Service spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, said in a statement that Fani-Kayode was invited over allegations and insinuations bordering on national security.
Speaking officially on the matter, Afunanya said Fani-Kayode’s invitation was in respect of an investigation of some allegations based on national security.
“The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby informs the public that it invited Chief Femi Fani-Kayode to its National Headquarters, Abuja on 13th February 2023.
“The invitation was in respect of an investigation of some of his allegations and insinuations relating to issues relevant to National Security.
According to the DSS spokesman, “Chief Fani-Kayode faced a panel that interviewed him on the subject matter.”
“Afterwards, the Service granted him administrative bail and directed that he make routine returns to the Office with effect from Wednesday, February 15, 2023, until otherwise. The investigation, however, continues.
“Political parties and their media managers are advised to apply restraint in their utterances and public communication engagements prior to and after the general elections. This is to avoid heating up the polity and evoking tendencies that could lead to violent reactions as well as undermine peace and order,” the DSS statement reads.
Fani Kayode, in a statement on Monday, said “Three days ago, on the day that I tweeted about newspaper reports alleging that Atiku was secretly meeting with Army Generals, I received a text message from someone who claimed to be a DSS officer asking me to report to them on a matter of national security.
“I dismissed the invitation because it was vague and I was not sure whether it really came from the DSS.
“In any case, I had no intention of going anywhere unless I was formally invited.
“To my surprise, I received a formal letter from them to report to their office without fail two days later, which was yesterday evening.
“I put a call through to them and was advised to take the matter very seriously and report to them on the stipulated day and time otherwise the worse may happen.
“I found it interesting that a call came from one of Atiku’s dogs for me to be arrested by the security agencies yesterday and had it not been for the fact that the DSS had actually sent a text to me two days earlier I may have thought that they were acting on the instructions of what can only be described as a hopeless and desperate presidential candidate, opposition party and PCC who are clutching at straws, drowning fast, seeking to silence those that give them sleepless nights, shivering in despair and staring defeat in the face in the upcoming presidential election.
“Clearly the DSS was not influenced by Atiku and were doing their job by inviting me on a matter that needs explanation and clarification and for a thorough interrogation.
“And of course being a responsible and law-abiding citizen I will present myself before them accordingly,” he had stated.
Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode has expressed regrets over his tweets which earned him the invitation.
His regret came to light while speaking after his release on Monday.
He said: “Following my tweet, the PDP called for my arrest and detention, saying Atiku never met with the military generals.
“While I was with the DSS, they were very thorough and inquisitive and very professional in their approach, they were polite, reasonable, and rational.”
“In spite of the ordeal, I felt I was being treated fairly and that I wasn’t being oppressed,” he said.
Fani-Kayode also said it was clear that the DSS was not acting under any order.
He regretted some of the things he said in the tweet, which, according to him, sent shock waves to some individuals who got hurt by it and brought the appropriate authority to act.
“I spent about five hours. I was subjected to thorough grilling; they were very thorough and highly professional in their interrogation, and I was asked to come back on Wednesday for further interrogation.
“The place anybody wouldn’t want to go, I think, is the DSS.” “If I were to do it a second time, I wouldn’t tweet this same way,” Fani-Kayode said.
