'We Don't Know If He's Alive': Family Demands Release Of Ajaokuta Youth Leader Held Without Charges By DSS For Over Five Months

The family of Abbas Oricha, resident in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, has raised an alarm, demanding the immediate release and justice for their son, Lukman Abbas Oricha, the President of the Ebira Youth Congress (EYC), Ajaokuta Chapter, who has been held incommunicado by the Department of State Services (DSS) for over five months without any known crime.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, Lukeman’s younger sister, Mariam Abbas, stated that he was arrested on February 7, 2025, by operatives of the DSS, led by Mr. Shagi Jonathan, then-DSS head in Ajaokuta, without any explanation of the alleged crime he committed.

Mariam said Lukeman was arrested at around 1:45 a.m. at his residence in Kaduna Estate, Ajaokuta.

“Around 1.45 a.m. that night, my younger brother, who was living with them, called me and told me that they had come to pick him up, and when I asked who the people were, he said it was the DSS,” Mariam said.

She said at that point, Lukeman’s family were confused because they “didn't know whether it was actually the DSS”. But when she asked her younger brother how he knew those who picked up Lukeman were DSS officials, she said she was told that “when they came, my elder brother identified one of them as the DSS boss there in Ajaokuta”.

She explained that the night before DSS operatives arrested Lukeman, he had come home, and while eating, suddenly stood up and said he was going to see the Ajaokuta DSS boss, Jonathan, without giving any reason.

She said Lukeman’s wife and father-in-law, who live in the same estate in Ajaokuta, informed her that a man named Abdulkareem had been arrested by the DSS months before Lukeman’s own arrest. As the youth chairman of the area, Lukeman was approached by Abdulkareem’s family for help and urged to intervene.

Community Intervention May Have Prompted Arrest

Lukeman, who had no issues with the community, was reportedly pressured by residents—particularly from the Muslim community—to take action. In response, the community formed a committee to address Abdulkareem’s case and appointed Lukeman as its head, a role he accepted.

“I think that was the reason he was going to the DSS office,” Mariam said.

“We don't know if the reason they picked him up was because he was investigating Abdulkareem’s case or if someone else framed him.”

No Communication, No Charges, No Access

Mariam said Lukeman was taken away by DSS operatives who told his wife he was being taken to Abuja and promised to contact her the next day, but the family has heard nothing since.

Despite several efforts, they have been unable to trace his whereabouts. The family does not know who might be behind his arrest, only that DSS officers took him and that local leaders have remained silent.

She also noted that Jonathan, the DSS head in Ajaokuta at the time of the arrest and a resident of the community, has not returned since Lukeman was taken. The family hired a lawyer and took the case to court, but the DSS in Ajaokuta denied any involvement or knowledge of the arrest.

“They came out and denied having anybody like that in their custody. After that, we became confused,” he said.

The family was referred to Barrister Habib Abbas, who confirmed that Lukeman’s arrest was known to the authorities but claimed it was ordered from Abuja, not the local DSS. He wrote to the DSS headquarters requesting an audience and Lukeman’s return to court, but there has been no response.

Despite spending around N700,000 on legal fees, the family has made no progress in locating Lukeman or securing his release, as the lawyers they engaged have since stopped taking further action.

“The lawyer didn't take any further action. Each time we called him, he told us that he has not gotten any information. And he has not gone back to Abuja for an update or sent them a reminder,” Mariam said.

“He went to Abuja and said they have gone to submit a letter, that we should wait, that they are going to call. But since then, he has not made any further effort.

Mariam revealed that despite hiring multiple lawyers — including one affiliated with Ebira Voice Worldwide — and spending a total of N700,000, the family has made no progress in locating or gaining access to Lukeman. One lawyer reportedly scammed them, while others took no further action after initial efforts.

A representative of Ebira Voice, who is also a relative, has been in Abuja for two months trying unsuccessfully to locate Lukeman. Letters sent to the DSS headquarters have received no response. Unlike the DSS in Ajaokuta, which denied holding Lukeman, the Abuja office has remained silent.

The family is demanding Lukeman’s immediate release, insisting that if he is accused of any crime, he should be charged in court rather than being held incommunicado. They have expressed deep concern over his well-being and urged authorities to grant them access or free him.

Mariam lamented that two family members have died since Lukeman's detention, as he had been the one providing financial support for their medical treatment.

“My uncle, my mum's younger brother, died a week after they took him away. And his father-in-law died two weeks after. My parents are old and tired,” she said.

“The children are under seven years old. And he has two wives. He has orphans that he is taking care of.

“He is highly proactive in the community. He is always fighting for the rights of the youths in the community. Whatever he has done, they should bring him out and try.”

Mariam said it has been nearly six months since Lukeman’s arrest and no action has been taken, stressing that he is the breadwinner of their family and his continued detention has caused hardship.

She urged that if he committed any offence, he should be tried in court or released.

Lukeman’s wife, Amina Bello Ohuneme, added that DSS operatives told her co-wife he was being taken to Abuja for questioning and they would be contacted within three days, but nothing has been heard since.

Amina, who said she is a student, said, “That morning, I was shattered, shaken, and confused. It happened close to my exams and took a serious toll on me, physically and mentally.

“But I took solace in my faith in Allah and desperately looked forward to hearing from them.

“However, three days became three weeks. Three weeks became three months. And now, over five months have passed, and we still have no access to him, no formal charge, no trial, and no explanation.

“We don’t even know for certain where he is being held and how he is doing, as he was battling ill health at the time of his arrest.

“We have repeatedly visited the DSS offices in Lokoja and Abuja, to no avail. We and our lawyers were neither allowed into their offices, especially the one in Abuja, nor afforded the opportunity to be heard.

“I have since been in and out of school in an effort to secure my husband’s release, which has continued to affect my focus, performance and general well-being.”

“We have pleaded with community leaders and political representatives but have seen no concrete action,” she added.

Amina, one of Lukeman’s wives, said she and her co-wife have been struggling to cope with his absence while raising their children. She described Lukeman as a dedicated family man, community leader, and advocate for justice in Ajaokuta. She insisted he is innocent and called for due process, stressing that no one should be held for over five months without disclosure of their whereabouts or access to legal representation. She described the situation as unjust, unconstitutional, and inhumane.

“We humbly and passionately appeal to our distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, our respected member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulraheem Sanni Egidi, esteemed people of Ebira land and the great people of Nigeria to hear our cry and prevail on the DSS to arraign Lukeman Abbas before a court if he is suspected of any crime or release him unconditionally,” she appealed.

In September 2024, the DSS redeployed its spokesperson, Dr. Peter Afunanya, who had been the public face of the agency for nearly a decade. His reassignment came shortly after Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi assumed office as the new Director-General of the DSS.

Ajayi signalled a strategic shift in the agency’s operations, emphasising a return to covert intelligence gathering and “studied silence” over public commentary. This marked a departure from the relatively open media engagement style that Afunanya had championed during his tenure.

Notably, the DSS did not announce a replacement for Afunanya, effectively halting official media interactions.