Statistician-General Not Arrested By DSS, Says NBS
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has debunked claims that its Statistician-General, Adeniran Adeyemi, was invited or arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Reports alleging the arrest surfaced following the release of the NBS report on ransom payments in Nigeria. The report, part of the Bureau’s Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, revealed that Nigerians paid an estimated ₦2.23 trillion in ransom between May 2023 and April 2024. Published on December 17, the report has sparked widespread reactions across the country.
The release of the report also coincided with a cyberattack on the NBS’s official website, www.nigerianstat.gov.ng, which was hacked less than 24 hours after publication. The landing page displayed the message: “Page hacked.”
Amidst these developments, rumors emerged on Thursday suggesting that the DSS had summoned Adeyemi for questioning over the report’s findings and methodology.
NBS Refutes Claims
However, Ichedi Sunday, the head of communications at the NBS, categorically denied the reports, confirming that the DSS had not contacted the Statistician-General.
“I can authoritatively say the reports are not true,” Sunday stated. “I was with the Statistician-General up until late last night when the news broke, and there was no call from the DSS. Other platforms had called me, and I told them it is not true. I also spoke to him today.”
He expressed disappointment over the continued circulation of the false information, adding, “I don’t know why the wrong information is still being published.”
Background on the Controversial Report
The NBS report, which highlighted the alarming scale of insecurity in Nigeria, has been a focal point of public discourse. It detailed the financial burden of ransom payments on Nigerians and underscored the pressing need for improved security measures.
Despite the challenges posed by misinformation and the website breach, the Bureau remains committed to providing accurate and reliable statistics to inform public policy and discourse.
Sunday urged the public to disregard the false reports and assured Nigerians of the NBS’s dedication to transparency and integrity in its operations.
