The Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday described as malicious an online report that links it to the death of David Imoh, a Lagos based Sound Engineer. DSS, in a statement made available to News Express by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr Peter Afunanya, dismissed the report, calling it “a false online publication authored by one Adio Oluwole Bashir who purported to be a former staff of the Service”.

The DSS also warns those bent on throwing the country into violence to retrace their steps and give peace a chance.

According to Afunanya, “Bashir claimed to have led the team that arrested suspected killers of David Imoh, a sound engineer allegedly murdered on 12th May, 2022 at Lekki, Lagos State.

“He further alleged that the suspects who were of Hausa origin were exchanged with Christians”.

The PRO continued: “Consequently, the Service states that Bashir is neither a serving nor retired staff on its roll. Besides, his writing style and use of paraphernalia gave him out as fake and an impostor”.

DSS further said that findings have, revealed that Bashir's aim is to ignite an ethno-religious conflict.

“His co-conspirators are elements of separatist groups who are desirous of achieving the same objective as well as pitting security agencies against one another,” Afunanya said.

He added: “Dragging the DSS which never participated in the operation at Lekki into his skewed account exposes the lies and intentions of Adio Oluwole Bashir and his cohorts”.

He urged the public to be guided by the Lagos State Police Command’s clarification on the issue, stressing that the police “has issued an unambiguous statement on the entire episode".

The DSS maintains that the write-up is completely false. It also frowns at “the calculated effort to use its name for malicious purposes”. It urged the public to disregard report adding “is misleading narrative”.