DSS Detained Taraba Youth Leader For 126 Days Without Charge, Lawyer Tells Court

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has been accused of detaining Ntari Danladi Hassan, National President of Mumuye Cultural Development Association (MCDA) Youth Wing, Taraba state, since May 6, without any charge preferred against him.

Hassan’s lawyer, P.D. Pius, made the allegation on Thursday during a sitting of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

In an ex parte motion he filed against the DSS before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, the lawyer prayed for an order compelling the DSS to produce his client in court and release him unconditionally.

The lawyer made the request on the grounds that there is allegedly no valid order of court directing the detention of his client for that long.

“The Applicant who is presumed innocent is entitled to bail as a matter of course, having not been charged with any offence since his arrest on 6th day of May 2021 in his office at the Mumuye House, Mile 6, Jalingo, Taraba State and his subsequent detention by the Respondent officers till date.

“The Applicant as the National President of Mumuye Cultural Development Association (MCDA) YOUTH WING is well known to all Law Enforcement Agencies in Taraba State as a law-abiding individual who has no any previous misconduct, crime or any wrong doing at all.”

He therefore sought for an “order of the honourable court directing the respondent to produce the applicant in court immediately and show cause why the applicant should not be released unconditionally having been arrested on or about 6 day of May 2021 and detained at the pleasure of the Respondents without any complaint or charge preferred against the Applicant or any valid order of Court.”

Pius also told the judge that he had another motion seeking his client’s bail.

The DSS was not represented in court during the proceeding.

In his ruling, Justice Egwuatu, who is a vacation judge, directed Pius to notify the DSS of his application for bail so they could appear in court and react to it.

The judge also ruled that since the court vacation was ending next week, “I will return the case file to the Registry for reassignment.”