Operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, weekend, invaded the home of the correspondent of a foreign news agency, Thomas Reuters, Mr. Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital over suspicious act of espionage and carted away personal computers and electronic working gadgets.
The armed security operatives searched the home of Owolabi, claiming to be acting on order from Abuja.
The DSS officials, after the search, left with the working tools of the Reuters’ correspondent.
According to reports, the invasion followed the invitation extended to him on Friday for a brief chat.
Owolabi was quizzed for hours and released to the state Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Tariyon Akono.
Confirming the development, the Reuters correspondent in a text message to newsmen in Yenagoa said: “The DSS men stormed my apartment on Saturday to conduct a search and claimed it was based on the order from Abuja.
“The DSS men claimed that I am unpatriotic owing to my job and relationship with Thomas Reuters.
“They claimed that they gathered that I sent or that I am planning to send ‘negative’ report to the outside world. I believe it is a deliberate clampdown on international journalists.
“All my working tools, including cameras, laptops, iPad and hard drives are with them. I was asked to report back on Monday.”
