By Bisi Bamishe
A retired officer of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, has apologized to the Director General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, and the association of retired DSS officers, for leaking an internal matter to an online platform, Saharareporters.
The retired officer has written Saharareporters, demanding a retraction of the report which he said was full of inaccuracies. He gave the media platform seven days to retract the report or face legal action.
The retired officer wrote Saharareporters through his lawyer, Edmund C. Ben, principal partner of Lawminds Associates. The letter was dated October 16, 2026.
Penned the law firm, “We write to express our profound concern regarding the publication made by your online publication on 29th June 2026, wherein the exalted office of the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and ARODSSON were denigrated.
“While we recognize the fundamental role of the media in promoting transparency, accountability, and public discourse, we also emphasize the importance of responsible journalism, factual accuracy, fairness, and the right of individuals to respond to publications that may adversely affect their reputation,” added the law firm.
Ezeakolam’s lawyers charged Saharareporters to publish an “official response by our client addressing the claims and assertions contained in the publication of 29th June 2026.”
Additionally, the law firm told the media platform to “retract any inaccurate or unsubstantiated claims,” stressing, “where any statements in the publication are found to be factually inaccurate, misleading, or unsupported by verifiable evidence, we demand their prompt correction and retraction.”
The retired officer’s lawyers expressed optimism that Saharareporters would cooperate, however, cautioning,
“should your newspaper fail to respond appropriately within 7 days from the receipt of this letter on you, we reserve the right to consider further lawful steps available to address the matter.”
In Ezeakolam’s letter to the DG, dated September 22, 2026, the retired officer explained:
“I write this letter with deep regret and humility, to apologise for my decision to escalate and publish an internal matter on an online media space. I acknowledge that making such publication was a serious error in judgment and I regret the consequences.”
He continued, “It was never my intention to cause any harm to your esteemed self or the exalted office of the DGSS; or to expose you to legal difficulties. I recognize that internal matters are sensitive in nature and should not have been made available publicly.
“I humbly and sincerely apologize for the harm and embarrassment that my actions may have caused you and your reputable office. I assure you that I have learned a painful and important lesson from this incident.
“My allegiance is and will remain wholly to the Federal Government of Nigeria as a retired officer. I have never participated and will never participate in any act that is inimical to the security of this nation,” he wrote, concluding, “I plead with you sir, to temper justice with mercy and resolve the matter internally.
