The Department of State Services (DSS) has acknowledged that Mrs. Calista Ifedi, who had been in its custody since November 2021, d!ed while detained at Wawa Barracks in Niger State
The confirmation, coming more than two years after her disappearance, follows sustained pressure from her family and rights groups seeking clarity on her whereabouts.
The development was made public on Monday evening by former presidential candidate and human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who described it as a disturbing example of impunity within the DSS during the tenure of its former Director-General, Yusuf Bichi, under the administration of Muhammadu Buhari.
Sowore stated, “Mrs. Calista Ifedi died at Wawa Barracks two years ago under unlawful detention by the lawless Department of State Services (DSS). I share this painful account to bear witness to a grave injustice and to expose the burden of impunity inflicted on Nigerians by the DSS.”
Mrs. Ifedi, a food vendor who operated a small restaurant in Enugu, was arrested alongside her husband, Sunday Ifedi, at their residence on November 23, 2021. According to her husband, the arrest was carried out without a warrant, and neither of them was charged with any offence throughout their detention. Sunday Ifedi was eventually released in December 2025.
Human rights advocates, including Amnesty International Nigeria and lawyer Deji Adeyanju, have maintained that her alleged offence was that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had bought food from her restaurant. Following her arrest, she was taken into DSS custody and disappeared from public view for several months.
Sowore further alleged that her condition worsened while she was held at Wawa Barracks, saying, “While in detention at Wawa Barracks, Mrs. Ifedi fell ill. Instead of receiving medical care, her repeated complaints were ignored. She was allegedly taunted and left to deteriorate until she died.”
Sunday Ifedi disclosed that he last saw his wife in March 2022, when both were transferred from the DSS headquarters to Wawa Barracks and separated. He said he was never informed of her death and only learned about it when Sowore personally contacted him ahead of the public announcement.
Explaining his decision, Sowore said, “Her husband was never informed of her death. Tonight, I personally called him to convey this devastating news before making it public.”
He also demanded accountability, stating, “These are egregious crimes. Nigeria must immediately shut down the Wawa Barracks detention facility. Every official involved in the unlawful detention, neglect, and death of Mrs. Calista Ifedi must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.”
Sowore accused the DSS of systemic rights violations, alleging that its leadership at the time operated with legal protection from then Attorney General Abubakar Malami, SAN. He added, “This tragedy occurred during the period when Yusuf Bichi presided over the DSS with unchecked brutality, aided and protected by Abubakar Malami, SAN, under the criminal Muhammadu Buhari regime. History must not forget, and justice must not be denied.”
He further called for transparency and an independent investigation, saying, “Mrs. Calista Ifedi deserved life, dignity, and justice. Nigeria must produce her dead body, and an autopsy must be carried out to determine the circumstances of her death.”
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