The President of the Borno State Youth Association (BOSYA), Samaila Ibrahim Kaigama, had expressed fears that he could be arrested by operatives of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), saying he had received information that authorities believed he was “digging up a lot” through the information he had been sharing with the media.
Kaigama made the revelation before he was arrested by DSS operatives in an audio recording obtained by SaharaReporters.
In the recording, he said he was scheduled to meet Senator Ali Ndume before proceeding to a meeting with the National Security Adviser (NSA) to President Bola Tinubu, Nuhu Ribadu. He, however, expressed concern that he might be detained.
According to him, the meeting with Ribadu was expected to take place at about 2 p.m., after which he intended to disclose its outcome.
Kaigama, however, warned that if he stopped communicating within the next 24 to 48 hours, the media should assume that something had happened to him and publish the information he had previously shared.
He said he had been receiving reports that the NSA was planning to detain him because of the information he had been providing to the media and his communications, adding that authorities believed he was “digging up a lot.”
“There is a meeting probably with NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, probably from 2p.m. Whatever the outcome might be, you would hear from me,” Kaigam said.
“But if you do not hear from me in the next 48 hours, 24-48 hours, you can put out whatever you want to put out because I am getting rumours and information that NSA is planning to detain me for the information I’ve been giving out, for communications and they feel I’m digging up a lot.”
Kaigama, who appeared to anticipate his possible detention, said he was making the disclosure in advance so that journalists and his media contacts would know what to do if he suddenly became unreachable.
“So, in case anything goes the other way, I’m informing you now. You will know I’d also inform any of the media allies or partners that I have,” he said.
The BOSYA president also disclosed that he had been communicating with terrorists, saying that they had made what he described as “very bold” claims concerning certain issues.
He said his communication with the terrorists was one of the reasons he was unable to immediately release a video in which he had discussed some of the issues.
“So, that is the situation on ground. The reason why I wouldn’t send this video, I spoke about a few things. So, speaking about a few things, I communicated with the terrorists this evening,” he said.
“They made some very bold, in fact, claims on certain things.”
Kaigama said he intended to proceed with his activities the following day, but added that he was uncertain about what might happen to him.
“With that being said, I want to go for tomorrow’s activities, God willing, if I’m alive,” he said.
He again said that should he become unreachable, they should publish the information he had given them, including the claims allegedly made by the terrorists.
“Once it happens that way, whatever the outcome might be, if you don’t hear from me, fine, but you would hear everything,” he said.
“Definitely, including the bold claims.”
Kaigama further said he would have to record another video explaining the issues he had discussed and the claims he had received.
“I think I would have to remake a video. Yes, I would have to remake a video,” he said.
SaharaReporters previously reported that the DSS arrested Kaigama following his appearance on Channels Television where he made allegations concerning ransom payments to Boko Haram terrorists.
Kaigama was arrested in Abuja under circumstances that have stirred concerns among rights advocates over an attempt to silence dissenting voices.
Confirming his arrest, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, disclosed that a lawyer from the law firm of Deji Adeyanju was sent to the DSS headquarters to meet Kaigama but was denied access.
According to Sowore, the lawyer waited for more than an hour before DSS operatives refused him access to both Kaigama and the agency’s premises, forcing him to leave without seeing his client.
(SaharaReporters)