By G9ija
The National Assembly management has dismissed reports that surfaced online that masked operatives of the Department of State Services on Wednesday barricaded the gates to the National Assembly complex, shutting out lawmakers.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Agada Emmanuel, the Director of Information, in Abuja.
Emmanuel said: “The reposted unverified video clips was a reported incident that took place in 2018 at the main entrance gate leading into the National Assembly complex.
“The main entrance gate is presently under reconstruction and near completion for commissioning.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a social media user had tweeted from his Twitter handle account: @Chukwuebuka, alleging the siege of the National Assembly complex by the DSS.
Emmanuel said that the video was misleading and fake news in its entirety, stressing that as the National Assembly members are currently on recess and staff are not under any siege by the DSS.
According to him, the new Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Tambuwal, and his Management team are fully in charge, focused and determined to achieve their set goals inline with their core mandates.
He urged security agencies to investigate the user of the Twitter handle account to forestall future abuse and spreading of misinformation into the media space.
He said such misinformation was capable of creating panic, mischief and anxiety, leading to break down of law and order as the repost might have been intended.