Human rights advocate and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has publicly condemned the detention of 12 Nigerian nationals—predominantly from Ebonyi State—by the Department of State Services (DSS), claiming they have been held unlawfully for over four years without formal charges or trial.

In a statement posted on his verified 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Sowore alleged that the individuals have been confined at the Wawa Barracks detention center in Niger State since 2021.

He stated that the detainees were apprehended in Lokoja, Kogi State, while en route to Abuja to attend a court hearing for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Sowore contended that their arrest was solely connected to their intention to observe the court proceedings, calling the detention illegal and unconstitutional.

The activist named those allegedly detained as Wisdom Ezike, Kenneth Ojima, Chinedu Nwoba, Igwe Sampson, David Ogbonnaya, Aja Joseph, Barrister Awoke, Chinoso Oyibe, Eze Joseph, Okezie Fortune, and two drivers, including one identified as Ikechukwu.

According to Sowore, DSS operatives took the individuals into custody in 2021, and they have remained imprisoned without being formally charged or brought before a court.

Highlighting the detention as a grave violation of fundamental human rights, Sowore demanded their immediate and unconditional release. He also called on the Federal Government to compensate the affected individuals for what he described as prolonged unlawful incarceration, and insisted that DSS personnel implicated in the matter be held accountable.

Sowore further criticized the continued operation of Wawa Barracks, describing it as a “dark site” and urging its closure, claiming it has been repeatedly used for human rights violations.

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