A few days after regaining their freedom, some of the protesters detained during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests have denied being tortured while in custody at the Department of State Security (DSS) office in Kaduna State.
Their account appears to contradict that of one Khalid Aminu, who claimed that while in the same Kaduna DSS office, he was tortured and brutalized by DSS operatives, and was denied contact with his family.
“What I went through, what we went through was inhuman, I can’t even begin to tell you everything,” Aminu told a popular television station, Channels TV.
However, the protesters, who were released about a month ago, told journalists in Kaduna at the weekend that they were shocked by Aminu’s claims, saying that no mistreatment occurred during their detention. They clarified that they were Disc Jockeys (DJs) who played music during the protest in Kaduna, not among those taken to court in Abuja.
They were released earlier in October 2024 on the orders of the new DSS Director General, who reviewed their case immediately after taking over and found them to be innocent.
Dahiru Hamza, also known as DJ Zariya, from Tudun Wada, Kaduna, stated that “their release followed the DSS DG’s decision upon realizing their innocence.”
He said, “I was arrested on the 8th of August, 2024. We were detained, but we were neither tortured nor starved. However, we were released without having to pay any bail and were asked to go and collect our sound systems on the orders of the new DG, DSS.”
Hamza said he was misled by some of the protest organisers, who assured him that security agencies had granted permission for the protest. He also urged the government to create more employment opportunities for the country’s youth.
Isa Abdullahi, also known as DJ SP, who also operated in Kaduna, denied being tortured while in DSS custody. He noted that he was able to communicate with his wife during his time in custody without any issues.
He praised the DSS Director General, who “ordered their release without any condition or charges.”
Khaleed, reportedly the coordinator of the protest and the one who hired the DJs, allegedly informed them that they had secured security clearance for the event.
He was also released, with all charges against him dropped on the Director General’s orders, allowing him to reunite with his family.