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DSS PAYS N10M COMPENSATION TO BUSINESSMAN DETAINED FOR NEARLY THREE YEARS WITHOUT TRIAL
The Department of State Services (DSS) has paid N10 million in compensation to Abdulyakini Salisu, a businessman who was unlawfully detained for nearly three years without being charged in court.
Salisu, who owns a quarry along the Zuba–Kaduna Road, was released recently following sustained legal efforts by his lawyer, Barrister Deji Adeyanju.
The human rights lawyer disclosed on Saturday night that the compensation was part of a settlement reached with the DSS, which also promised to support Salisu’s business.
He said his firm secured a ₦10 million compensation for his client, along with a further commitment from the DSS to assist in rebuilding his business after the wrongful and prolonged detention.
He noted that the case is one of several ongoing efforts to address the issue of unlawful detention by security agencies in Nigeria.
The human rights lawyer said this is not the first time the new DSS leadership has agreed to compensate his clients. He added that, due to instructions from his clients, his law firm could not disclose details of other cases at this time.
Adeyanju commended the current leadership of the DSS for acknowledging past wrongs and taking steps to make amends.
He said the strategy of seeking compensation was adopted after careful discussions with clients, given the challenges in enforcing monetary judgments against government institutions.
Adeyanju said, “We have been able to secure a N10million compensation for our client and a further promise to support his business by the DSS for the wrongful and prolonged detention. This is just one of the many cases we are working on related to prolonged detention.
“This is not the first time the new DSS leadership is agreeing to compensate our clients but due to clear instruction from our clients not to disclose, we will not be able to share any detail for now. We commend the new DSS leadership in accepting when they are wrong and making amends.”
“Our strategy of seeking compensation is after careful deliberation with our clients on the difficulty in enforcing monetary judgment against government institutions,” he added.
Salisu had been released from DSS custody after being detained since 2022.
A family source on Saturday confirmed the development, revealing that Salisu’s wife was able to see her husband for the first time since his arrest over two years ago.
The source credited the release to a recent report by SaharaReporters and Adeyanju’s intervention.
“After SaharaReporters’ story and the efforts of Barrister Deji Adeyanju, Salisu’s wife received a call inviting her to the DSS headquarters in Abuja,” the source said.
“As I’m speaking with you, Salisu has been released. They are only waiting for Barrister Deji to perfect his bail. We are happy,” the source added.
A top official of the DSS said Salisu, who has developed multiple health complications while in custody, remained detained because the agency feared he might sue them for unlawful detention if released, especially after investigations found nothing incriminating against him.
Meanwhile, a source said the most disturbing aspect of the case was that Salisu’s case officer, who investigated him, confirmed he was not found guilty of any offence.
However, the Service was reportedly afraid to release him, fearing he might sue for damages.
Another source earlier revealed that even some DSS officials were unhappy with the way Salisu was being treated.
Abdulyakini’s wife on Thursday lamented that she had not seen her husband since he was taken away from Kaduna in 2022, saying the family initially thought he was abducted.
The DSS has a well-documented history of unlawful detentions and routinely holding individuals for extended periods without formally charging them.
