The Arewa Civil Society Organisations (ACSO) has announced its intention to conduct a peaceful mass protest, calling for the resignation of Yusuf Bichi, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS). This was revealed in a statement made by the group’s Chairman, Adamu Musa, in Kaduna yesterday, Thursday, 27th July, 2023
The ACSO expressed its condemnation of the DSS for its alleged continuous assault on judiciary and disrespect towards court orders. The group claimed that the DSS has been unlawfully detaining individuals without trial, in violation of their basic human rights.
The ACSO urged the DSS to respect court orders and release detained individuals within a 48-hour timeframe, as ordered by the court. The group’s members plan to peacefully march to and occupy the Abuja headquarters of the DSS in demand of Bichi’s resignation. The date for the protest, however, was not disclosed.
“Owing to the DSS’s continuous assault on the judiciary, complete disregard for court orders, illegal detentions, and violation of fundamental human rights, we find ourselves obliged to mobilise our members to gather in large numbers and peacefully occupy the DSS headquarters, calling for the resignation of Mr Yusuf Magaji Bichi, the Director General of the DSS,” Musa stated.
The statement also recalled the DSS’s arrest of Emefiele on June 10, 2023, following his suspension in Lagos, and the subsequent detention for over a month without any charges or release. The group noted that despite court-granted bail, Emefiele remains in detention.
Musa further criticized the July 12, 2023, arrest of the Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos, Alhaji Aminu Yaro, and his wife, Sa’adatu, which was related to Emefiele’s case. Despite two separate court orders for their release, Yaro and his wife remain in DSS custody.
The ACSO views these actions as violations of human rights and a disregard for the rule of law by the DSS. Musa urged Bichi to comply with the court orders and release all detainees as per the court orders within 48 hours. Failure to do so, he warned, would result in a large-scale peaceful protest. Musa expressed that they are mobilising their youth to end what they perceive as dictatorship by Bichi and his operatives.
SOURCE: ThisDayLive
IMAGE: Pointblank News
