Woman Detained Since 2021 By DSS Is Dead – Sowore
Omoyele Sowore, Former presidential candidate and activist, on Monday alleged that Mrs. Calista Ifedi, who had been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021 for alleged connection with the Indigenous People of Biafra, died while in custody at the agency’s Wawa Barracks detention facility.
In a statement shared on his official X account, Sowore described the detention and death of Mrs. Ifedi as a “grave abuse of power” and a tragic failure of the Nigerian state to protect life.
He claimed that Mrs. Ifedi was unlawfully detained without due process and denied adequate medical care until her death.
According to Sowore, Mrs. Ifedi was arrested alongside her husband, Sunday Ifedi, at their home in Enugu on November 23, 2021.
He said the couple was initially held at DSS headquarters before being transferred to Wawa Barracks in March 2022, where they were separated and allegedly never allowed to see each other again.
Sowore stated that Mr. Ifedi, who was released from detention in December 2025, last saw his wife in March 2022.
He added that her husband was never informed of her death while in custody.
The activist said sustained advocacy by Amnesty International Nigeria, human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, and other campaigners later revealed that Mrs. Ifedi’s alleged offense was that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had bought food at her restaurant in Enugu.
He further alleged that while in detention at Wawa Barracks, Mrs. Ifedi fell ill but was denied medical treatment, ignored, and allegedly taunted by officials until she died.
Sowore said he personally informed Mr. Ifedi of his wife’s death before making the information public.
Calling the incident “egregious crimes,” Sowore demanded the immediate closure of the Wawa Barracks detention facility and called for the identification, arrest, and prosecution of all officials involved in Mrs. Ifedi’s detention, neglect, and death.
He also linked the incident to the period when Yusuf Bichi served as Director-General of the DSS, alleging that abuses occurred under his leadership with the backing of officials in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sowore called on the Nigerian authorities to produce Mrs. Ifedi’s body and conduct an autopsy to determine the exact circumstances of her death, insisting that she deserved “life, dignity, and justice.”
“The Department of State Services (@OfficialDSSNG) has admitted that Mrs. Calista Ifedi, who was detained since 2021 for allegedly selling food to IPOB members, died while in custody at Wawa Barracks. Her detention was unlawful, she was denied due process, and reports indicate she fell ill in custody without receiving adequate medical care.
“This admission confirms a grave abuse of power and a tragic failure of the Nigerian state to protect life.”