A Human Rights group, Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO has again written the Department of Security Service, DSS, over couple who were arrested in Enugu since November 23, 2021 , detained without prosecution and without trial.
In the letter written to the DSS Director in Abuja and copied to Amnesty International, AI; Human Rights Watch Network, HRWN, and the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC by the organisation signed by Comrade Paul Odimegwu, CLO asked the DSS to release the couple, Paul Ifedi and Calister Ifedi or sue them to court.
According to the emotion-laden letter, CLO lamented that the couple were arrested at an ungodly hour in Enugu by DSS personnel but were later transferred to their headquarters in Abuja and ever since nothing has been heard about the whereabouts of the couple till date.
The letter reads: “We herein petition your office on behalf of the above named couple, who were abducted by men of the Department of Security Service, DSS Enugu on November 23rd 2021 at an ungodly hour. The said couple as reported were later taken to the DSS office for interrogation based on an unfounded allegation.
“We are informed that Mr. and Mrs Ifedi were taken to the office of DSS where they were later granted bail and told to report on a particular date announced to them. Subsequently, the couple was later taken back to the DSS office and were whisked off to the headquarters of DSS in Abuja.
“We are informed that the couple were later transferred to Minna, Niger State where DSD is said to be used as detention camp. The children informed us that the information reaching them said that anybody who DSS arrested and taken to such place, the chances of the person being released is always in doubt. The children told us that their parents must have been killed and buried secretly,” the petition reads.
CLO therefore called on DSS to make public the offence committed by the abducted couple that warranted their being remanded without trial.
“The Civil Liberties Organisation herein demand that the couple should be brought to court to answer for the offence said to have been committed after one year they are detained without trial.
“We hereby request to know the offence of Mr. and Mrs. Ifedi committed that made them to be remanded by DSS for the past one year and three months without trial,” the human Rights group stated.