Bauchi Activist Accuses DSS Of Intimidation Despite Ill Health

The Bauchi State coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Nazif Bashi, has accused operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) of pressuring him to report to its command office despite telling them he was ill, Naija News reports.

Bashi said the invitation came at short notice on Monday, with a senior DSS officer allegedly insisting that he appear at the command office by 2:00 pm, even after he explained that he was resting because of his health.

In a statement issued on Monday, the activist said he received a phone call from a DSS officer at about 12:44 pm.

He said the officer later handed the phone to a senior official, who allegedly demanded that he report to the office within little more than an hour.

According to Bashi, he told the senior officer that he was indisposed and could not attend immediately. However, he alleged that the officer described him as “stubborn” and continued to pressure him to honour the invitation.

Bashi said the officer later asked if he could send his deputy or secretary to the command office instead.

“I explained that due to the extremely short notice, I could not guarantee their availability, but I nevertheless reached out to my executive council,” he said.

He added that none of the executive members was available to attend at such short notice.

The activist said he refused to give in to what he described as intimidation, insisting that the meeting should be rescheduled until he was medically fit to attend with a lawyer.

“Despite this pressure, I maintained my right to health and safety, refusing to yield to intimidation, and insisted on rescheduling for a time when I am medically fit and accompanied by legal counsel,” he said.

Bashi described the alleged conduct of the DSS operatives as “informal pressure and unlawful intimidation”.

He called on members of the public, human rights organizations and international observers to take note of the incident.

“I want the general public, human rights organizations, and international observers to be fully aware of this informal pressure and unlawful intimidation by state security agents in Bauchi,” he said.

The Take It Back Movement coordinator maintained that participating in civic activities should not expose activists to harassment by security agencies.

“Civic engagement is not a crime, and I hold the DSS fully responsible for my safety, personal liberty, and physical well-being,” he added.

The Take It Back Movement is involved in civic and political advocacy, including campaigns on governance, human rights and economic hardship.

As of the time of filing this report, efforts by SaharaReporters to obtain the DSS’s response to the allegations were unsuccessful. Calls to the number reportedly used by the DSS officer to contact Bashi were not answered.