Lawless DSS Officers Prevent Family From Seeing Kogi School Proprietor Detained Since 2022 Without Trial

The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly thrown out the mother of Momoh Abubakar Otuhuo, a former community leader and proprietor of Jamaatul Muslimeen Academy in Eika, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State, who has been in detention since 2022 without being charged to court.

Momoh, a trained laboratory technician, was allegedly arrested due to a personal fallout with a former local government chairman. 

He was arrested alongside three others — Idris Abdulmalik, a trainee nurse, and two Senior Secondary School students of his school, Masters Aliyu Yusuf and Ishaq Awwal.

A family source who spoke with SaharaReporters on Wednesday said that despite efforts to secure his release, DSS officials at the Abuja headquarters forcefully ejected them when they came to demand justice.

The source said some DSS officials privately admitted that Momoh is innocent but claimed the agency is reluctant to take the matter to court, fearing backlash for their failure to admit their error in unjustly detaining him and others since 2022.

"We came from Kogi yesterday and we were at the DSS headquarters protesting for the unconditional release of Momoh. DSS officials forcefully ejected us from the premises," the source said.

Another family member told SaharaReporters that Momoh was arrested in early 2022 for allegedly insulting the then Okehi Council Chairman, Ohiare.

The source added that Momoh’s wife, children, and extended family have been thrown into disarray, as he was the family’s breadwinner before his detention.

According to the family, members of the mosque committee in their community had contributed funds to enable them to travel to Abuja in pursuit of justice, but they were chased away by DSS personnel.

The source further disclosed that Momoh’s elderly mother was physically pushed out of the DSS premises during the protest.

However, they are demanding his unconditional release, accusing the DSS of deceiving the public about its commitment to upholding human rights and compensating individuals who have been illegally detained.

The source added that this claim is not true.

The source stated, "Momoh was arrested in early 2022 after allegedly insulting the then Council Chairman, Ohiare. He is married with children, and since his detention, his family has been thrown into disarray. As the family's breadwinner, his absence has caused severe hardship.

"In a desperate effort to seek justice, members of the local mosque committee contributed money to enable the family to travel to Abuja. However, when they arrived at the DSS headquarters, they were chased away. His mother was even pushed out of the premises."

Meanwhile, to date, Momoh has not been brought to trial.

 "We, the family and supporters, are now calling for his unconditional release. The Department of State Services (DSS) is deceiving the public with false claims of upholding human rights and compensating victims of illegal detention. These claims do not reflect the reality faced by detainees like Momoh."

On July 18, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that a former community leader and school proprietor, Momoh Abubakar Otuhuo, has reportedly been held in detention since 2022 alongside three others, following what sources describe as a personal fallout with a former local government chairman.

Momoh, a trained laboratory technician and proprietor of Jamaatul Muslimeen Academy in Eika, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State, is said to have been arrested alongside Idris Abdulmalik, a trainee nurse, and two Senior Secondary School students — Masters Aliyu Yusuf and Ishaq Awwal — of his school.

A source told SaharaReporters that the former chairman allegedly wrote a petition to the authorities, which led to the arrest of Momoh Abubakar Otuhuo, Idris Abdul Malik and others by the Department of State Services (DSS). Both men have remained in DSS custody since 2022.

According to the source, despite being held for over two years, the DSS has neither charged the duo in court nor allowed family members to visit them.

Another source stated that while Idris is alleged to have been involved in the June 5, 2022, attack on a Catholic church in Owo, Ondo State, there is no evidence linking him to the incident.

However, the source insisted that the former local government chairman orchestrated Momoh’s arrest.

According to the source, the DSS has not provided any formal reason for Momoh’s continued detention. In fact, since their arrest, they have not been questioned about any alleged crime.

The source stated, "The former chairman of Okehi local government wrote a letter for the arrest of Momoh Abubakar Otuhuo and Idris Abdul Malik. Both have been in DSS custody since 2022. They have not been charged in court, and the DSS has not allowed family members to visit them.

"One was alleged to have attacked a church in Owo, but not the other one. Momoh Abubakar Otuhuo was arrested and detained on the instructions of the former Chairman of Okehi.” 

"It was all a frame-up. I spoke with them, and the Service has not said anything regarding that to them. As a matter of fact, for these years of detention, they have not been asked anything regarding that," the source added.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, Momoh’s brother recalled that Momoh and Idris were apprehended on August 1, 2022, at approximately 1am from their residence.

He stated that initially, their whereabouts were unknown until the Chief of Defence Staff announced their arrest nine days later, alleging their involvement in the Owo Catholic Church attack. 

Momoh’s brother told SaharaReporters that they conducted an exhaustive search across various police stations and the DSS office in Kogi State, all of which denied having them in custody.

He explained that they had formally notified the Human Rights Commission and publicised the incident in four newspapers.

Despite consulting multiple lawyers, they have yet to obtain any favourable outcomes, leaving them uninformed about the men’s current location or well-being.

He told SaharaReporters that everyone knows the allegations are false and that the local government chairman at the time only wanted to punish his brother due to a disagreement between them.

He said his brother often stood his ground and openly pointed out the former chairman’s mistakes.

According to him, Kogi State has experienced autocratic leadership, where anyone who speaks out risks being silenced or eliminated.

He added that the funny thing is that the former chairman and his brother were once friends. According to Momoh’s brother, the former chairman even admitted that Momoh taught him during their secondary school days.
He said, "We know the reality that the allegations are not true. The then-local government chairman just wants to punish him because of a disagreement between them. My brother usually points out the errors of the former chairman.
"As for Abdulmalik Idris, there was a day he spoke negatively about the chairman, and the chairman found out. We truly experience autocratic leadership—if you speak out, you risk being eliminated.”
Meanwhile, the Eika Solidarity Forum submitted a petition to the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja, dated August 25, 2022, titled "Petition on Gross Violations of Human Rights and Incarceration of Abubakar Otuhuo Momoh and Three Others by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor."
They appealed to the Commission to intervene in the arrest and subsequent parading of four of their members over alleged involvement in the shooting at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The forum stated that although human behaviour can be unpredictable, they are convinced of the impeccable character of Momoh, a former community leader, trained laboratory technician, and proprietor of Jamaatul Muslimeen Academy, Eika.