DSS Threatens Legal Action Against Protester Over Torture Allegations

The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued a letter to Khalid Aminu, an #EndBadGovernance protester, demanding that he retract his recent claim of being tortured while in DSS custody. Aminu, an engineer, was one of 76 protesters arrested in Kano and Kaduna during the August demonstrations. After his release, he appeared on a Channels Television program, where he accused DSS officers of brutalizing him during detention. He described his experience, stating, “What we went through was inhuman… they began beating us immediately, using boots and kicks. They then transported us in their Hilux and SUVs to the Command, where I was struck with a heavy cane and beaten with sticks and cables while lying on the ground.” In a letter dated November 25, 2024, the DSS, represented by their lawyer, Mohammed Sani Ndanusa, SAN, demanded that Aminu retract his claims, accusing him of intentionally spreading false information to damage the agency’s reputation. The letter, titled Re: Allegation of Torture By Department of State Security Officials While in Custody in Kaduna, asserted that Aminu’s statements misrepresented the facts and were meant to tarnish the DSS’s image.