The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued a demand for Khalid Aminu, an engineer and #EndBadGovernance protester, to retract his allegations of torture during his detention.
Aminu was arrested amid the August protests in Kano and claimed on a Channels Television program that he faced brutal treatment while in DSS custody.
He stated “What I went through, what we went through was inhuman, I can’t even begin to tell you everything,”
“On the 3rd (of August), they arrested us at NEPA Roundabout. There and then they started beating us, boots, kicks, and all that. Then they pushed all of us into their Hilux, some into their SUVs, and then we went down to the Command.
“When we got there, the first thing I received was a strong cane, like an armoured cable that they used. If I pull up my chest, you will see.
They started beating me, I was flat down and they were blasting me with all forms of sticks, armoured cables, everything you can think of,”
In a letter dated November 25, 2024, the DSS lawyer Mohammed Sani Ndanusa, asserts that Aminu’s claims are false and intended to damage the agency’s reputation.
Titled “Re: Allegation of Torture By Department of State Security Officials While Undertaking Custody in Kaduna,” it states that Aminu’s statements have caused significant embarrassment to the DSS. The agency has threatened legal action if Aminu does not issue a public retraction in three national newspapers within seven days.
Also, Aminu assertions have been contradicted by other released protesters, who denied experiencing any mistreatment and praised the DSS for humane treatment during their detention.
