A young resident of Kogi State, Yusuf Folorunsho, has been arrested and secretly transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS) on the direct orders of Governor Usman Ododo for allegedly criticising his administration.
Sources familiar with the matter told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that Folorunsho was initially detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Lokoja after his arrest in Ajaokuta.
His detention was orchestrated through a petition filed by the Chairman of Ajaokuta Local Government Area, acting on behalf of the governor.
“His arrest was on the orders of Governor Ododo,” a senior police officer at the SCID revealed, adding, “The governor said he wrote against the government and criticised it.
“The Ajaokuta Local Government Chairman was the one who was asked to write the petition. He wrote it, and the young man was picked up and detained at the State CID for a few days.”
However, according to the officer, the governor became dissatisfied with the SCID’s handling of the case, suspecting that officials were being lenient with the detainee.
In response, Ododo reportedly ordered Folorunsho’s transfer to the DSS, bypassing due process and keeping his family in the dark about his whereabouts.
“They felt that the State CID is ‘romancing’ with the young man, so they transferred him to the DSS without letting his family know,” the source said.
The arrest and transfer of Folorunsho have sparked concerns over human rights violations in Kogi State.
Critics argue that Governor Ododo’s actions reflect an increasing intolerance for dissent and a growing pattern of using security agencies to silence opposition.
As of now, there has been no official statement from the Kogi State Government or the DSS regarding Folorunsho’s arrest or his current status in detention.
Last Wednesday, SaharaReporters obtained and reported a video showing heavily armed security operatives taking political activist and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Comrade Usman Okai Austin from his residence in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, earlier that morning.
Sources told SaharaReporters that his arrest was connected to his outspoken criticism of the Kogi State government.
Okai, a known opposition figure, had frequently spoken out against the administration’s policies and governance.
On Friday, SaharaReporters reported that a Magistrate Court in Lokoja had ordered the remand of Okai at Kabba Correctional Centre for two weeks following his arraignment earlier that day.
Earlier on Friday, SaharaReporters reported that Okai had been moved from Abuja to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, for trial.
A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed Okai at the court premises following his transfer.
Meanwhile, Okai’s wife told SaharaReporters on Wednesday that the DSS did not present an arrest warrant during their operation.
Source: SaharaReporters
