OrderPaper and nine of its employees were charged by the Department Security Service (DSS) with disseminating false information over an alleged plot to overthrow Senate President Godswill Akpabio, but the charges have since been dropped.

Following a public apology by the media organisation on its website and other platforms, as well as actions taken by important stakeholders on its behalf, the charges were withdrawn.

A DSS source confirmed the event on Saturday, framing the charges’ removal as an indication of the secret police’s dedication to provide honest information to Nigerians.

The agency made it clear that its goal was to safeguard the public interest, not to stifle free expression in the media.

According to the source, “The respondents’ widely reported apology on their official website and other media channels, as well as interventions on their behalf by pertinent stakeholders, led to the withdrawal of charges against OrderPaper and its employees.”

“This action shows that the Service is committed to safeguarding Nigerians’ right to accurate and truthful information for the benefit of all.”

Under the direction of A.A. Yusuf, a Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice, the DSS had first filed the case in the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, October 23.

Through its incorporated trustee, OrderPaper and a number of its employees were charged with conspiracy, publishing false material, defamation, and disseminating information meant to frighten the public.

The accusations were based on a report published on October 16 that said the SSS had besieged the National Assembly as part of a plan to depose Akpabio.

Among other legal provisions, this publication was found to be fraudulent and to be in breach of Section 24(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015. Additionally, the defendants were charged with slandering Akpabio and the SSS by claiming that the agency’s activities were illegal.

Oke Epia, the founder and executive director of OrderPaper, as well as top employees Elizabeth Atime, the author of the disputed report, Edna Bill Ulaeto, and Tony Okeke Ofodile, were among those indicted. Co-defendants included other employees, such as administrative executives and social media managers.

When DSS officers detained Ulaeto on October 18 during a pre-dawn search on her residence, the matter became more complicated.

According to witnesses, the agents forced their way inside, arrested her without warning or justification, and threatened the neighbours, making them remove any footage of the raid.

OrderPaper denounced the arrest, claiming that Ulaeto was violently treated in front of her family and that the authorities had monitored her phone without a warrant.

Ulaeto was released later that day after the Nigerian National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) stepped in in response to public uproar.

OrderPaper maintained that the event instilled fear in its employees and charged the DSS of violating due process.