The Department of State Services has admitted that Mrs. Calista Ifedi, who had been in its custody since November 2021, died while being held at Wawa Barracks in Niger State.
The confirmation followed more than two years of silence from the security agency, during which Mrs. Ifedi’s family and human rights groups repeatedly sought information about her fate. Former presidential candidate and rights activist Omoyele Sowore revealed the admission on Monday evening, describing it as another example of unchecked abuse and impunity within the DSS during the tenure of its former Director-General, 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, who operated a small restaurant in Enugu, was arrested at her home on November 23, 2021, alongside her husband, Sunday Ifedi. According to him, their arrest was carried out without any formal charges, and they were held arbitrarily. He remained in detention until December 2025.
Human rights organisations and legal advocates, including Amnesty International Nigeria and Barrister Deji Adeyanju, have consistently stated that her only alleged offence was that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra had bought food from her restaurant. After her arrest, she was taken into DSS custody and vanished from public view for several months.
Sowore alleged that Mrs. Ifedi became seriously ill while detained at Wawa Barracks and was denied medical care. “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 he last saw his wife in March 2022, when both of them were transferred from DSS headquarters to Wawa Barracks and separated. He said he was never informed of her death by the authorities and only learned about it when 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.”
Sowore demanded accountability over the incident, calling for the closure of the detention facility and prosecution of those involved. “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 leadership at the time of operating with legal protection from former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, SAN, saying, “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.”
He also called for transparency and an independent investigation, adding, “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.”