Human Rights Groups Shocked as DSS Admits Woman Died in Custody After Years of Silence

The Department of State Services (DSS) has officially confirmed that Calista Ifedi, an Enugu resident, died while in detention at the Wawa Barracks in Niger State. She had been held for more than four years without formal charges.

Calista Ifedi was arrested in November 2021 alongside her husband, Sunday Ifedi. While her husband was released in December 2025, she remained in custody until her death, a situation that had drawn widespread concern from human rights activists and the public.

Rights campaigners have described her detention as arbitrary and unlawful, pointing out that she was never formally charged and that her only alleged connection to a separatist group was through her small business.

Former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore condemned the DSS, describing her death as a “tragedy caused by neglect and abuse of power.” He revealed that Sunday Ifedi was not informed of his wife’s passing by the authorities and only learned about it through external sources.

Human rights organizations are now demanding accountability, including the closure of the detention facility, investigation of responsible officials, and an autopsy to confirm the cause of death. The case has reignited debates on human rights abuses and the treatment of detainees in Nigeria.