DSS Arrests Journalist For Supporting Omoyele Sowore On Facebook

Omoyele Sowore

Barely 24 hours after releasing him, the Department of State Services on Wednesday arrested a former Politics Editor with Daily Trust, Ibrahim Dan-Halilu, in Kaduna State, according to a report by Punch.

Dan-Halilu was arrested on Sunday for supporting the ‘Revolution Now’ movement led by Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore.

A source close to the journalist said, “Dan-Halilu was arrested on Sunday and then released on Tuesday after being given a stern warning. However, on Wednesday morning, the DSS guys came again, saying they had been given orders from Abuja to detain him again.”

The Spokesman for the DSS, Peter Afunnaya, told our correspondent on the telephone, that he was not aware of the arrest but promised to find out and give a response later.

Dan-Halilu had in a post on Facebook lamented the spate of killings, the high rate of poverty; the decision of Buhari to appoint persons with questionable character as ministers and the inability of the government to satisfactorily account for the manner in which the recovered $320 Abacha loot was spent amongst others.

The post read in part: “I feel I should share because it resonates with me. If it resonates with you too, please share until all oppressed people of Nigeria get the message and domesticate it. This is #Not the Nigeria of My Dream.

“Somebody asked me why we need a revolution now, this was my reply: The aim of the revolution is to challenge the uncommon hardship why we have 16m children on the street; challenge why we have become the poverty capital of the world; challenge why we have 20 persons with corrupt cases as federal legislators and would-be ministers.

“We need to restructure the country. We need to put an end to trillions spent on electricity while we live in darkness and pay estimated bill for electricity and meters. Why do we have huge oil reserves but our refineries are dead and we are re-importing what we exported as crude oil? It is time to ask why those in government travel abroad for medical care when they have left our hospitals dilapidated; why they send their children to school abroad when our children learn under mango trees.

“We are revolting against the continuing killings that have left 20,000 Nigerians dead while those in office move around under state-paid security and do nothing.

We are revolting against the because over a thousand Nigerians soldiers killed by Boko Haram have been secretly buried without identifiable graves, dignity or honour. $16m was purportedly spent on mosquito nets but our children die daily from malaria. $320m Abacha loot was purportedly distributed to the poor. Where is the verifiable list? N500bn was purportedly distributed to the poor as so-called Trader-moni. Where is the verifiable list?”