TheCable

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Good Governance has expressed concern over the alleged harassment of Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun.

In March, Rasheed had filed a case against the Department of State Services (DSS) over an alleged threat to his fundamental human rights.

In a statement by Olalekan Johnson, secretary general of the coalition, he said it is unlawful for security agencies to “force journalists to falsely implicate others”.

“It has come to our attention that this egregious harassment is being coordinated by DSS, raising serious questions about the agency’s impartiality and commitment to upholding democratic principles,” Johnson said.

“For the purpose of clarity, we are very much aware of the disposition of the Director General of the organisation, Mallam Yusuf Magaji Bichi to professionalism and impartiality within the service and the actions of the Director of Operations, clearly contradicts what Mallam Bichi’s leadership represents.

“The focus of the DSS investigation, as we have learned, is to coerce a journalist into disclosing the source of a story, a blatant violation of journalistic ethics and an illegal act in itself.

“Furthermore, the DSS is attempting to force the journalist to falsely implicate others as the source of the story, resorting to obtaining false confessions under duress, an action that not only undermines the rule of law but also tramples upon fundamental human rights.

“This raises serious concerns about the impartiality of the DSS which should operate free from political interference. By acting as a political tool of a particular politician against his opponent, the SSS is betraying its mandate and eroding public trust in the agency.

“We remind the DSS that the matter is already before the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, rendering any further action by the agency as sub judice.

“We reiterate that if any story is deemed offensive, the proper recourse for the affected party is to pursue legal action for libel or defamation, not to resort to intimidation and harassment.”