Human rights activist and 2027 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested the President of the Borno State Youths Association (BOSYA), Samaila Ibrahim Kaigama, in Abuja.
Sowore made the claim in a post shared on his X account on Friday, where he condemned the alleged arrest and accused the security agency of denying Kaigama access to legal representation.
According to Sowore, a lawyer from the law firm of Deji Adeyanju visited the DSS facility on Friday in an attempt to meet with Kaigama but was reportedly turned away after waiting for more than an hour.
“The lawless DSS arrested BOSYA President, Samaila Ibrahim Kaigama, yesterday in Abuja. We immediately sent a lawyer from Deji Adeyanju’s law firm to see him in detention today.
“After waiting over an hour, the lawyer was denied access to both the detainee and the DSS premises, forcing him to leave without seeing his client.”
Sowore linked the alleged arrest to comments Kaigama recently made during an interview on Channels Television, where he reportedly raised allegations concerning ransom payments to Boko Haram insurgents.
“Kaigama recently made serious allegations on Channels Television regarding alleged ransom payments to Boko Haram terrorists. His arrest appears intended to silence him. It will not happen.”
The activist further criticised the conduct of the country’s security agencies, describing the situation as a threat to the rule of law and civil liberties.
“Nigeria is fast becoming a complete banana republic, where security agencies operate with utter disregard for the rule of law and the rights of citizens.”
He ended the post with the campaign hashtag #FreeKaigamaNOW.
As of the time of filing this report, the Department of State Services had not publicly responded to Sowore’s allegations, while the circumstances surrounding Kaigama’s reported arrest could not be independently verified.