In a significant development, the Department of State Services (DSS) has released six individuals who were detained for their involvement in the recent #EndBadgovernance protests in Nigeria. According to a competent security source, the detainees were freed on Thursday in Kaduna, based on the orders of DSS Director General Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi.
The source revealed that three other suspects are still being held and processed for prosecution due to evidence of criminal offenses committed during the protests. The DSS Director General emphasized the importance of balancing citizens’ rights to peaceful protest with the need to prevent criminal elements from exploiting these rights.
“The DG DSS is not interested in the incarceration of innocent citizens for expressing their constitutional rights,” the source stated. “But is also not going to allow criminal elements take laws into their hands.”
The released detainees have expressed gratitude for the DSS’s gesture and praised the agency’s humane handling of the investigation.
The #EndBadgovernance protests, which took place from August 1 to 10, aimed to draw attention to Nigeria’s worsening cost-of-living crisis. However, the protests were marred by hijacking from criminal elements, resulting in harassment and intimidation of innocent individuals.
This development comes amidst other significant news in Nigeria, including the Edo election and updates on petrol supply and inflation rates.