AGAIN DSS OPENS ITS DOORS TO RELEASE SETS OF NIGERIANS DETAINED ILLEGALLY AS IT REVIEWS OTHERS’ CASES

…Reviewing 20 other cases

The Department of State Services (DSS), has released three persons that were detained on the suspicion of belonging to the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), and it’s militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN), as well as alleged involvement in the killing of seven Fulani cattle herders.

This is as the Secret Police is currently reviewing more than 20 cases of persons believed to have been wrongfully detained.

The development formed part of the key reforms initiated by the Director General of the DSS, Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi.

The disclosure was made on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 by an Abuja-based activist and human rights lawyer, Mr. Deji Adeyanju on his verified social media handles.

According to Adeyanju: “The trio of Augustine Udemba, Nelson Onyedikachi Udemba, and Ifesinachi Eze, who were arrested and wrongfully detained on the allegation of involvement in IPOB/ESN activities and killing of seven herders, were released yesterday (Tuesday).

“They have been reunited with their families,” he said.

Adeyanju noted that the release was part of the ongoing reforms by the new DSS boss to reposition the Service and make it rule of law- compliant.

He also said that the Agency is reviewing the cases of those in custody, saying that charging to court where required, and releasing those wrongfully detained.

Adeyanju further said; “We are currently working on more than 20 cases with the service and thank the DG of the DSS for his commitment to ensuring the right thing is done.

“We are aware that there are hundreds of Nigerians with similar issues, and we are further appealing to the DG for a speedy process in the ongoing reforms,” he appealed.

Adeyanju did not however state if compensation was or would be paid to the released detainees, even as a close security source told Forefront News that, going by the DSS DG’s habit of paying compensation to wrongfully detained persons, it was most likely the released detainees may be compensated.

Last week, the DSS DG directed that a businessman who owns a quarry on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway who was arrested by the Service since 2022 on suspicion of kidnapping, be released and paid N10 million as compensation.

It was reported that he might get more from the DG.

Another outstanding case was that of the payment of N20 million compensation to a Jos-based businessman who was mistakenly shot in the leg by DSS operatives in 2016.

Even after it was established by the DSS that the man was shot in error, and a court awarded the victim N10 million as damages, two former DSS Directors General refused to pay the victim and, instead appealed the judgement.

However, in May this year, the new DG-DSS, Mr Ajayi paid the businessman the N10 million that was awarded by the court and also added another N10 million and free medical services for the victim at the Agency medical facility.

Mr Ajayi has also promised to speedily review the cases of wrongfully detained persons in the DSS custody brought to his notice, stressing that he wouldn’t mind the source of the information so long as it yields needed results.