Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of unlawfully detaining 12 Nigerian citizens, most of whom are from Ebonyi State, without charge or trial for more than four years.
In a statement shared on his verified 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Sowore alleged that the individuals have been held at the Wawa Barracks detention facility in Niger State since 2021.
According to him, the detainees were arrested in Lokoja, Kogi State, while travelling to Abuja to attend a court hearing involving the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore claimed that their arrest was solely linked to their intention to observe the court proceedings, describing the detention as illegal and unconstitutional.
He identified the detainees as Wisdom Ezike, Kenneth Ojima, Chinedu Nwoba, Igwe Sampson, David Ogbonnaya, Aja Joseph, Barrister Awoke, Chinoso Oyibe, Eze Joseph, Okezie Fortune, and two drivers, one of whom he identified as Ikechukwu.
The activist alleged that the individuals were taken into custody by DSS operatives and have remained detained since 2021 without being formally charged or tried in court.
Describing the situation as a serious breach of fundamental human rights, Sowore called for the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees.
He further urged the Federal Government to compensate the affected individuals for what he described as years of unlawful incarceration and demanded that DSS personnel responsible for the alleged actions be identified and prosecuted.
Sowore also criticised the continued operation of the Wawa Barracks detention facility, referring to it as a “dark site” and calling for its immediate closure, alleging that it has been used for persistent human rights violations.
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