The Department of State Services (DSS) has released six individuals who were detained for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria .These protests, which took place from August 1 to 10, 2024, aimed to highlight the escalating hardship faced by Nigerian citizens, but unfortunately, were marred by incidents of violence and criminal activities .
According to competent security sources, the six persons were freed last Thursday in Kaduna on the orders of the Director General of the DSS, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi.
According to a recent report, six individuals detained in connection with protests against bad governance in Nigeria were released last Thursday in Kaduna, thanks to orders from Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS). However, three other suspects are still being processed by the agency for prosecution, as they’ve been found to have committed criminal offenses during the protest.
The DSS Director General emphasized that the agency aims to strike a balance between protecting citizens’ constitutional rights and preventing criminal elements from taking the law into their own hands. The three individuals in question have prima facie evidence against them, which warrants further investigation and potential prosecution.
This development highlights the DSS’s commitment to upholding the law while respecting citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and free expression.
The DG DSS reiterates citizen’s right to peaceful protest as enshrined in the constitution and regard for the rule of law.
“However, he is resolute on upholding the mandate of the service to decisively investigate and bring to justice those who exploit such rights to perpetrate crime,” the source confirmed to Vanguard on Sunday.
The official disclosed that those released have commended the gesture of the DSS and expressed optimism on the humane face with which the service conducted the investigation that culminated in their unconditional release.
Recall that the #EndBadgovernance protest took place between August 1 and 10 in major cities and towns across the country.
The purpose was to draw government’s attention to the hardship in the land.
However, the protest was hijacked by some criminal elements in many states and innocent persons subjected to untold harassment and intimidation by hoodlums.
