SSS drops charges against OrderPaper, nine staff members

The State Security Service (SSS) has withdrawn charges against OrderPaper and nine of its staff members, who were accused of publishing false information about a supposed plot to remove Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The decision, confirmed by an SSS source on Saturday, followed “a well publicised apology by the Respondents on their official website and other media channels, coupled with interventions on their behalf by relevant stakeholders”.

The source said the step taken by the SSS “goes to show that the Service is only protecting the right of Nigerians to be given factual and truthful information for the greater good of all.”

Charges

The case was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday by A.A. Yusuf, a Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The charges named nine defendants of the newspaper as defendants.

They include the incorporated trustee of Order Paper (on whose online platform the false information was allegedly published), Oke Epia (Founder/Publisher and Executive Director of Order Paper), and Tony Okeke Ofodile (Head of Operations).

They also include Edna Bill Ulaeto (Admin/Finance Executive) and Elizabeth Atime (National Assembly lead reporter, author of the report).

The rest are Regina Udo (Coordinator of Programmes), Leah Twaki (Social Media Executive), Idongesit Joseph Ekoh (Admin Support) and Edoesomi Sharon Omonegho (National Assembly correspondent) as 6th to 9th defendants respectively.

In Count 1, the prosecution accused the incorporated trustees of Order Paper located at Suit C12, Halima Plaza, Plot 1496, Balanga Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, through its agents and other defendants of publishing false information via its online platform.

They were said to have on or about 16 October alleged that the SSS laid siege to the National Assembly over plans to remove the Senate President, “which you knew to be false, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 24(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act 2015 and punishable under the same section.”

In Count 2, the prosecution also alleged that the defendants and others at large intentionally published defamatory statements regarding the SSS and Mr Akpabio, on their online platform.

The third and fourth counts accused the defendants of defamation under Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, with the SSS claiming that OrderPaper’s publication falsely portrayed the agency’s actions as unlawful, damaging both the SSS’ and Mr Akpabio’s reputations.

In the fifth charge, the SSS accused OrderPaper of spreading false news with the intent to cause public fear and disturbance, a violation of Section 59 of the Criminal Code Act.

Finally, the sixth count alleged conspiracy under Section 516(a) of the Criminal Code Act, accusing OrderPaper’s agents of colluding to disseminate false information about a purported siege by the DSS at the National Assembly.

Arrest

This newspaper earlier reported that SSS agents arrested Ms Ulaeto, a senior OrderPaper staff member, in a pre-dawn raid on her home on 18 October.

According to OrderPaper, agents entered her home forcibly, removed her without explanation, and took her to an undisclosed location.

Also, the statement from OrderPaper said her neighbours who witnessed the incident reportedly faced intimidation and were made to delete photos and videos they had taken of the raid.

OrderPaper condemned the arrest as “brazen” and “terrifying,” claiming that SSS agents had tracked Ms Ulaeto’s phone without a warrant and had “violently manhandled” her in front of family members.

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The organisation stated that no formal notice or invitation was issued before the raid, adding that the incident left their staff “living in fear.”

Following her arrest, the Nigerian National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) intervened on Ms Ulaeto’s behalf, securing her release later that day.