Amnesty International has called on Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately release or formally charge Engr. Tahiru Mohammed Salihu, who has remained in the agency’s custody without trial since early 2023.
According to the rights group, DSS operatives stormed Salihu’s home in the Kubwa area of Abuja at about 4:30am on 4 February, 2023, and took him into custody. More than three years later, he has yet to be charged before any court.
Amnesty International said lawyers acting on behalf of Salihu’s family have made repeated appeals to the DSS, requesting either access for his wife and children to visit him or his arraignment in court. The organisation said none of these appeals have received a response, leaving the family without any confirmation of his wellbeing or whereabouts.
The group described the prolonged, incommunicado detention as a breach of due process and the rule of law, warning that such extended, unaccountable custody heightens the risk of torture or other ill-treatment of detainees.
Amnesty International reiterated its call on Nigerian authorities to uphold the rule of law in Salihu’s case, urging that he be granted prompt access to his family and to adequate legal representation, and that he either be charged before a court or released without further delay.
The organisation further stressed that government institutions, particularly security agencies, must operate strictly within the bounds of the law at all times.
