DSS DG orders PUNCH correspondent to return to Aso Rock

Lawal Daura, director general of the Department of State Services (DSS) has asked Olalekan Adetayo, state house correspondent of The Punch, to return to the presidential villa in Abuja.

Adetayo was expelled over a story on President Muhammadu Buhari’s health, published by the newspaper on Sunday.

The expulsion attracted  criticisms, with many accusing the current administration of attempting to clamp down on the press.

But in a letter to the chairman of Aso Villa correspondents’ chapel on Monday night, Garba Shehu, senior special assistant on media and publicity to the president, promised that the issue will be fully resolved in due course.

“We just got a clearance from Malam Lawal Daura, the DG SSS to recall Lekan to the Villa,” he said.

“Please come along with him tomorrow. The special adviser on media, Femi Adesina and I will resolve the issues.

“Please advise the correspondents and the rest of your members to handle this with maturity. It will not help anyone to start daring the security. Lekan should be assured that he is safe. We will straighten out everything.”

This is not the first time a correspondent has been expelled from the villa on similar circumstances.

Gordon Obua, the chief security officer (CSO) of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, now late, had also expelled Musa Ubale, a correspondent of German Radio, Deutsche Welle, from the villa back in 2015.