By Seun Opejobi
The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has been accused of shrinking Nigeria’s civil space and suppressing freedom of speech, by using the Department of State Services, DSS.
DAILY POST observed that the DSS had severally invited critics of the Buhari government ranging from human rights activists, politicians, and religious leaders.
The likes of Deji Adeyanju, human rights activist, a former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Obadiah Mailafia, Pastor Isa El-Buba, Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries; Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka, amongst others, have been invited by the secret police over their comments against the Federal Government.
Ejike Mbak
Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu, DSS, in June 2021, claimed that the DSS had invited him for questioning.
It was learnt that operatives of the secret police had visited the adoration ground to deliver the letter of invitation to Mbaka, but missed him.
The invitation might not be unconnected with the priest’s criticism of the Buhari government in recent times.
In January 2022, the Catholic Priest re-echoed that the secret police invited him over his prayers for Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
Isa El-Buba
El-Buba, who is the General Overseer of the Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries, was invited by the secret police for questioning after participating in a peaceful prayer walk in Plateau State in October 2020.
The Jos-based pastor and many other EndSARS protesters marched peacefully between the Old Airport Roundabout and Secretariat Junction, singing and praying God to heal the land.
Obadiah Mailafia
Mailafia, a former CBN Deputy governor, was invited by the DSS for linking Boko Haram to a serving governor.
In a radio interview in August 2020, the late Obadiah had claimed that a serving Northern governor was a Commander of the insurgent group.
He, however, did not disclose the identity of the governor.
Apostle Johnson Suleman
In 2017, the secret police had invited Suleman of the Omega Fire Ministries after he asked his members to allegedly kill Fulani herders seen around his church in Edo State.
At the height of the farmers, herders’ crisis, Suleman constantly criticized the Buhari government over its inability to tackle insecurity.
Salihu Tanko-Yakasai
Tanko-Yakasai, a former aide to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State was arrested and locked up by DSS after calling on Buhari to resign, in the wake of a spate of abductions targeting school students in the North. He was later released by the secret police.
Abubakar Idris
Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, has been missing since 2019 after he was allegedly abducted by security agents. However, the DSS has not owned up to his arrest.
Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State, a staunch critic of the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, was abducted on August 1, 2019 in Barnawa area of Kaduna State. Since his abduction nothing has been heard of him.
Steven Kefason
Steven Kefason, a staunch critic of the APC-led government in Kaduna State has been in jail for over 100 days because of a Facebook post.
Sahara Reporters founder and also one of Buhari’s challengers in the 2019 presidential poll, Omoyele Sowore is facing a lawsuit filed by the Nigerian government after he was arrested and detained by the DSS for calling for a nationwide protest against the government.
Another journalist, Agba Jalingo is facing trial for…
