By: Bayero Ade
The Department of State Services (DSS) has threatened to take legal action against Khalid Aminu, an engineer and #EndBadGovernance protester, over allegations of torture while in the agency’s custody. Aminu had claimed during a recent appearance on a Channels Television programme that he was brutalized by DSS officers following his arrest in August.
Recounting his experience, Aminu said, “On August 3rd, they arrested us at NEPA Roundabout, and immediately they started beating us with boots, kicks, and other objects. When we got to the DSS Command, they used armoured cables and sticks to beat me. If I show you my chest, you’ll see the marks. What I went through was inhuman.”
The DSS, however, has denied the allegations. In a letter dated November 25, 2024, the agency’s lawyer, Mohammed Sani Ndanusa (SAN), accused Aminu of making false and defamatory claims aimed at damaging the DSS’s reputation.
Titled “Re: Allegation of Torture By Department of State Security Officials While Undertaking Custody in Kaduna,” the letter described Aminu’s statements as a deliberate attempt to tarnish the DSS’s image and called for a public retraction.
“You will agree that your allegations have caused our client significant embarrassment both within and outside Nigeria,” the letter read. “We demand that you retract your statements and publish the retraction in three widely circulated newspapers. Failure to comply will compel us to initiate legal proceedings against you.”
The torture allegations have also been disputed by other protesters detained alongside Aminu. In a recent interview in Kaduna, some of the detainees told reporters that they were not subjected to any form of torture during their time in DSS custody.
Aminu’s allegations and the DSS’s response come in the wake of the August #EndBadGovernance protests, which saw arrests across several Northern states, including Kano. The controversy underscores the ongoing tensions between activists and state authorities.
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