The Department of State Services (DSS) has threatened legal action against engineer Khalid Aminu, a participant in the August #EndBadGovernance protests, for alleging he was tortured during his detention in Kaduna.
Aminu’s claims, made during an interview on Channels TV, have been refuted by the DSS, which has demanded a public retraction.
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In a letter dated November 25, 2024, and signed by its counsel, Mohammed Sani Ndanusa, SAN, the DSS described Aminu’s allegations as “false and defamatory.” The letter, titled “Re: Allegation of Torture by Department of State Security Officials While Undertaking Custody in Kaduna”, stated, “These allegations are a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts and an attempt to tarnish the hard-earned image of the Department of State Security Services within the professional and public realm.”
The DSS further claimed that Aminu’s statements had caused significant embarrassment and demanded he publish a retraction in three widely read newspapers. The agency warned that failure to comply would result in legal proceedings.
Aminu, who was detained along with other protesters in Kano on August 3, recounted a harrowing 68-day ordeal, describing his experience as “inhuman.” He alleged that he and others were arrested at the NEPA Roundabout and taken into DSS custody, where he endured severe mistreatment.
“They kept me in detention from August 3 to October 17. For the 68 days, I was in the custody of the DSS, minus one week when we were taken to the correctional centre after being brought to court in Kaduna,” Aminu said.
He further alleged that the number of detainees grew to 39 as more individuals were brought in during the protests. “What I went through, what we went through, was inhuman. I can’t even begin to tell you everything,” he added, his voice heavy with emotion and visible signs of trauma.
The #EndBadGovernance protests, which swept across the country in August, highlighted citizens’ dissatisfaction with hunger and poor governance.
The DSS maintains that the allegations are unfounded and remains adamant about pursuing legal redress if Aminu does not retract his claims.
