A45-year-old woman, identified as Salamatu Adamu, has reportedly died while in custody of the Department of State Security (DSS), Nasarawa State Command.
It was learnt that Salamatu, a mother of two girls and a boy, ground grains as a business in front of her residence at Tudun Kofa in Lafia, the state capital, but was arrested and incarcerated in connection with a kidnapping case.
She was allegedly tortured to death by DSS personnel.
The husband of the deceased, Mr. Musa Shittu Mohammed, and his family have, however, appealed to the Director General of the Department of State Security, to in the spirit of fairness ensure the perpetrators of the illegal and inhumane act were brought to book.
“We appeal to your good office, as a good citadel of fairness to intervene and order proper investigation on the perpetrators of this illegal and inhumane act and to ensure that justice is served for the peaceful repose of her soul, if not, we will be forced to explore legal means against your establishment without notice,” the husband said through his counsel.
A witness, noted that, Salamatu was said to have been picked by some men dressed in black, who dragged her into a vehicle, where she was asked to kneel down, while some of the men proceeded to beat her.
A complaint letter was written to the Director General of the DSS, National Headquarters, Abuja, dated November 17, 2023, and signed by Abubakar Abubakar Dogara Esq and eight others of A. A. Dogara & Co, according to a copy obtained by Daily Trust in Lafia.
A. Dogara & Co, is engaged by the husband of the deceased, Mallam Musa Shittu Mohammed, to unravel the circumstances surrounding Salamatu’s death and to ensure justice prevails.
The letter, titled “Complaint against the Nasarawa State Office of the Department of State Security Services (DSS), on the Unlawful Detention and Eventual Murder of Salamatu Adamu of Tudun Kofa in Lafia, Nasarawa State”, detailed how the deceased, Salamatu Adamu, was arrested, tortured and killed by personnel of the state command of the DSS.
“It is our client’s firm instruction that on the 7th day of November, 2023, at about 9am, while he was working on his farmland at the Federal University of Lafia in Lafia, Nasarawa State that, he received a distress call from his wife (Salamatu Adamu), who in his considered opinion appeared and/or sounded to have been in some kind of danger and needed his help.
“However, due to the noise from the background, he couldn’t fathom what was happening to her. Our client immediately switched off the call and placed a call across to her, but her number was no longer connecting, as the officers of the DSS have switched off her GSM handset.
“Our client, consequently rushed back home and only to be greeted with the devastating news from his daughter that his wife was picked up by some unknown men in a Sharon vehicle, whom upon further investigations, our client later discovered to be personnel of the Department of State Security Services, serving in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Command.
“Considering how disturbing the incident was, our client immediately swung into action and visited the Nigeria Police Force, Area Command along Jos Road, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lafia Command and all other Divisional Police Headquarters within the state capital, but there was no trace of her from the men that took her away from their residence.
“It was against this backdrop that our client reported the situation to the Madakin Lafia, Alhaji Isiaka Dauda, and the Madaki recommended that he reports the matter to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of “A” Division in Lafia.
“It is our client’s further brief that the following day being 8th day of November, 2023, our client then reported the matter to the DPO as recommended by the Madaki. Upon the said report, our client together with the DPO then visited the Department of State Security Services in Lafia and made the same inquiry about his wife, but they were told that the head of operations was not on seat, and they asked out client to drop his contact to enable them reach out to him for a possible appointment with their head of operations, which he gladly did.
“However, towards late hours of the said day, our client got a call from them, asking him to come around tomorrow morning in respect of the case he reported.
“The next day on reaching their office, our client was told that, there was no any woman in their custody that matched his description; however, he can check her out at the Specialist Hospital, which he did.
“However, on reaching the said Specialist Hospital, our client was also told that, there was no any woman that matched his description of her currently on admission in this hospital, except if our client will have to check the morgue.
“Our client reluctantly visited the morgue, only to receive the shock of his life, upon finding the body of his wife lying lifeless without any explanations of what happened to her, and how his healthy and vibrant wife ended up in a morgue, without any lawful justification.
The petition said that the husband was later informed that the body was deposited at the hospital by officials of the DSS.
“Considering the mysterious circumstances surrounding her arrest, unlawful incarceration and eventual murder, our client and his family are devastated and constrained from taking any legal action against the perpetrators of this dastardly and heinous act.”
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