Barely 72 hours after the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested his father, Dr. Barnabas Suleiman—Head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Baze University, Abuja—demanded his release on Wednesday, describing the detention as a product of Kogi State politics and conspiracy. He refuted the DSS’s claim that his father was taken in the early hours of Saturday while traveling to Abuja for the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening of Kogi State governorship aspirants, where he intended to support a candidate.
When the arrest became known, Dr. Suleiman said he contacted several influential figures in Kogi State, many of whom pretended ignorance. “Some tried to convince us it was a kidnapping case,” he explained. He argued that his father’s situation illustrates how government officials have resorted to intimidation and political persecution against those perceived as threats to their preferred gubernatorial candidate.
The DSS reported on Sunday that it had arrested a retired colonel and eight others, seizing weapons. Spokesperson Peter Afunanya stated that operatives in Kogi, Adamawa, Abuja, and Plateau states carried out the arrests between 1 March and 26 March during a joint operation with other security agencies. Among those detained was retired Nigerian Army officer Col. A.U. Suleiman, along with five additional individuals.
At a press conference organized by Okpanachi Jacob, coordinator of a human‑rights group under the Coalition of Civil Society for Good Governance, Dr. Suleiman reiterated his father’s innocence. He recalled that Natasha Akpoti‑Uguaghan had accused the Head of the Navy and the DSS of complicity in illegal arrests and alleged killings in Kogi State. “The arrest of my father, Col. A.U. Suleiman, is evidence of the intimidation and political persecution aimed at securing a particular governor,” he said. He called on the military hierarchy, the National Security Adviser, and the federal government to intervene and ensure his father’s release, urging DSS Director‑General Bichi—also a Fellow of the Nigerian War College—to investigate the alleged conspiracy by the state government and DSS officials in Kogi.
Jacob criticized the manner of Col. Suleiman’s arrest, noting that it was immediately followed by prosecution and a media spectacle. While the public expressed concern, Jacob emphasized the need for a thorough investigation rather than a premature political judgment. He demanded the unconditional release of Col. A.U. Suleiman pending proper inquiry, asserting that the retired officer’s reputation warrants serious scrutiny of the process.
Citizens of Kogi State remain unconvinced, insisting that Col. Suleiman’s good character merits a careful review. “We appeal for calm and peace among the people of Kogi and the family of Col. A.U. Suleiman as we await a favorable response,” Jacob concluded, urging political actors to choose dialogue over power struggles.
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