The Department of State Service, DSS, and its Director General have been hauled before a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court for the arrest of rights activist, Meliga Godwin, for addressing a press conference condemning the agency for the planned arrest of the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
On December 19, 2022, Meliga Godwin, President of the Middle Belt Youth Forum, addressed the media and denounced the DSS for attempting to acquire an ex-parte order to arrest and imprison the CBN Governor on spurious terrorism charges.
During the news conference, the activist decried the activities of the DSS and referred to it as an hatchet job
He was subsequently detained on January 8, 2023, by DSS agents.
However, the applicant is requesting the court to order his unconditional release by the DSS in a petition on notice for the enforcement of his fundamental rights with suit number FCT/HC/CV/1034/2023, filed by his attorney, Mr. Chibuzo Ezike.
The applicant has allegedly been held incommunicado since his arrest and imprisonment, according to one of his attorneys, Mr. Okere Kingdom, who spoke to the press in court.
The applicant asked the court to order the DSS and its Director General to pay him N500 million in damages and issue a public apology in two national dailies for his wrongful arrest and detention. He also requested that the court order his release from detention.
In addition, he requested that the court rule that his arrest and incarceration from January 8, 2023, until the time of filing the lawsuit were a violation of his fundamental rights, were illegal, and had no further bearing.
