The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed that Mrs. Calista Ifedi, who was detained by the agency in November 2021, died while in custody at Wawa Barracks in Niger State. The confirmation came after more than two years of silence from the DSS, during which her family and human rights organisations repeatedly demanded information about her whereabouts. Former presidential candidate and human rights activist Omoyele Sowore disclosed the development on Monday evening, describing it as a disturbing example of impunity within the security agency during the leadership of Yusuf Bichi under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. “Mrs. Calista Ifedi died at Wawa Barracks two years ago under unlawful detention by the lawless Department of State Services (DSS). I share this painful account to bear witness to a grave injustice and to expose the burden of impunity inflicted on Nigerians by the DSS.” Mrs. Ifedi, a small-scale restaurant owner in Enugu, was arrested alongside her husband, Sunday Ifedi, at their home on November 23, 2021. According to Sunday Ifedi, their arrest was arbitrary and no formal charges were ever filed against them. He remained in detention until his release in December 2025. Rights advocates, including Amnesty International Nigeria and lawyer Deji Adeyanju, have consistently maintained that her only alleged offence was that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) patronised her food business. Following her arrest, she was taken into DSS custody and disappeared from public view for months. Sowore alleged that her health deteriorated while she was held at Wawa Barracks and that she was denied medical attention. “While in detention at Wawa Barracks, Mrs. Ifedi fell ill. Instead of receiving medical care, her repeated complaints were ignored. She was allegedly taunted and left to deteriorate until she died.” Sunday Ifedi said the last time he saw his wife was in March 2022, when they were transferred from the DSS headquarters to Wawa Barracks and separated. He was never officially informed of her death and only learned about it after Sowore personally contacted him. “Her husband was never informed of her death. Tonight, I personally called him to convey this devastating news before making it public.” Calling for accountability, Sowore said, “These are egregious crimes. Nigeria must immediately shut down the Wawa Barracks detention facility. Every official involved in the unlawful detention, neglect, and death of Mrs. Calista Ifedi must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.” He further accused the DSS of operating with impunity, alleging that its leadership at the time acted with legal backing from former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, SAN. “This tragedy occurred during the period when Yusuf Bichi presided over the DSS with unchecked brutality, aided and protected by Abubakar Malami, SAN, under the criminal Muhammadu Buhari regime. History must not forget, and justice must not be denied.” Sowore also demanded transparency, insisting that Mrs. Ifedi’s remains be produced and independently examined. “Mrs. Calista Ifedi deserved life, dignity, and justice. Nigeria must produce her dead body, and an autopsy must be carried out to determine the circumstances of her death.”
