Detained Kidnappers, Cultists To Face Trial In Akwa Ibom

Akwa Ibom State Command of the Department of State Services (DSS) has concluded arrangements for the arraignment in court of several suspects arrested in connection with cultism, kidnapping, murder and armed robbery in various locations in the state.

The new DSS state director, Dr Doyin Adetuberu, disclosed this during a courtesy call on him in his office by the new executive council of the Akwa Ibom State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by Comrade Anthony Bassey, yesterday.

He said the feat was achieved through intelligence-led strategy, working in close collaboration with the leadership of other sister security agencies and members of the civil society.

The DSS boss recalled that since January when he took over the command, several notable flashpoints in Uyo, the state capital and other crime-prone areas outside the metropolis have been raided, leading to the arrest of the soon-to – be -prosecuted suspects.

“In no distant time, you will be proud of the security agencies in the state,” he assured, adding that his regime would be people-centred with security stakeholders, the media and ordinary citizens key participants.

Adetuberu, who has been in the service for over two decades, said he was bringing his experience to bear in tackling security challenges facing the state, and urged the media to be in the vanguard of enhancing effective policing through constructive criticism and responsible reportage.

Earlier Bassey intimated the DSS boss that he was on a mission to introduce the new leadership of the Chapel for a more collaborative synergy, devoid of rancour which could arise from lack of proper information.

He dismissed any act of inflammatory reportage, noting that journalists in the Correspondents’ Chapel’s fold of the union, are core professionals who abhor adversarial journalism.