Premium Times on Sunday said two men suspected to be of the Department of State Services (DSS) attempted to breach the home of its editor-in-chief, Musikilu Mojeed.
The editor’s wife, Haulat Mojeed, described the men as dark in complexion who rode in a 2008 Toyota Camry car.
Mrs Mojeed said the men asked her to open the gate so they could deliver a parcel for her husband whom they knew was not home.
She then told the men to pass it through an opening on the gate but they declined.
Mojeed told the online news platform that when she told them she wanted to call her husband concerning the parcel, one of the men who was waiting in the car said: “This woman is wasting our time. Let’s go.”
The news organisation said that moments later another pair arrived at the residence of its reporter, Samuel Ogundipe.
The men later left after observing the apartment through the fence and seeing no activity.
The news platform believes security operatives were trailing its staff over a report on the rift between the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, and Chief of Staff to the president, Abba Kyari.
The report revealed Mr Monguno’s memo to service chiefs, directing them not to take orders from Mr Kyari anymore on national security matters.
Mr Ogundipe, it said, has since then been subjected to hacks via the internet and has been receiving calls from strange numbers to confirm his identity.
The news medium’s management said in a statement on Sunday that its staff were willing to honour any formal invitation by security operatives.
“If the security forces want any of our staff, we would be happy to present them in a way that will ensure clear accountability,” it said, adding that its lawyers have been asked to follow up on the issue.
DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunnaya, however, in a statement denied the allegations.
“The report that the DSS is laying siege on Premium Times and has hacked the phones of one of its staff is false in its entirety. It is unfounded and just a needless sensationalism,” the statement read.
“There is no such operation at the moment by the Service targeted at the Premium Times, its editor or staff. If there is any need for the DSS to discharge its duty, it sure have to do that with every sense of decency and in accordance with laid down procedures. Now the Service is not anywhere near the news agency. Therefore, the report should be disregarded.”
