**Abuja, Nigeria** – The Department of State Services (DSS) has released Edna Ulaeto, a journalist with *OrderPaper*, after detaining her over a report regarding an alleged plot by senators to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Ulaeto was arrested during a raid on her Abuja residence by armed and masked DSS operatives on Friday, October 18, 2024. According to a statement from *OrderPaper* management, the journalist was mistreated during the arrest and forcibly taken to an undisclosed location. Neighbors who attempted to intervene or document the raid were reportedly threatened, with some being forced to delete any photos or videos.
Despite *OrderPaper* retracting the story and issuing a public apology, the DSS proceeded with the arrest, sparking alarm and concern among Ulaeto’s family and colleagues.
However, in a swift intervention, the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI) confirmed the journalist’s release on Saturday. In a statement signed by Tobi Soniyi, IPI Nigeria’s Legal Adviser and Head of the Advocacy Committee, the DSS expressed concerns that the report posed significant national security threats and caused local and international embarrassment.
The inaccurate report had claimed that DSS operatives had invaded the Nigerian National Assembly as part of a supposed plot to impeach Senate President Akpabio. The DSS noted that they sought to understand the reasoning behind the report and investigate the potential sources of false information aimed at destabilizing the country.
While acknowledging the DSS’s concerns, IPI Nigeria expressed relief over Ulaeto’s release and urged a balanced approach between protecting national security and ensuring press freedom.
