Northern Group Mobilises for Peaceful Protest to Demand Bichi’s Resignation

*Condemns continuous detention of Emefiele, Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Arewa Civil Society Organisations (ACSO) said it is mobilising its members for mass and peaceful protest to demand for the removal of the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi.
In a statement yesterday, in Kaduna, the Chairman of the group, Adamu Musa, condemned the DSS for the continuous attack on the judiciary and disregard for court orders.

The group also accused the DSS of illegally holding people in detention without trial, thereby violating their fundamental human rights.
The group urged the DSS to obey the court orders by releasing within 48 hours, all persons that the court had ordered to be released from detention.
Musa said members of ACSO would match peacefully to occupy the Abuja headquarters of the DSS to demand for Bichi’s resignation. He, however, did not say when the protest would hold.

“We are compelled to mobilise our members to come out in numbers and match to occupy the premises of the yellow house for a peaceful protest demanding the resignation of Mr Yusuf Magaji Bichi, Director General of the DSS,” he said.
According to him, “the action, is in reaction to the DSS continuous attack on the judiciary and the outright disregard to court orders, illegally detention and violation of fundamental human rights.”

The statement recalled that on June 10, 2023, the DSS arrested Emefiele, after his suspension in Lagos, and held him in detention for over a month without charging him to court or release him.
It noted that even after arraigning him and the court granted him bail, the DSS still kept him in detention.
Musa also condemned the arrest on July 12, 2023, of the Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos, Alhaji Aminu Yaro and his wife, Sa’adatu in connection with Emefiele’s case.
The statement lamented that Yaro and his wife had been in detention by the DSS, despite two separate court orders for their release.

“This is a violation of human rights and disregard for the rule of law by the DSS. We must respect the laws of our land because our laws are our strength.
“We hereby give Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi an ultimatum of 48 hours to comply with the court and release all individuals in their facility as ordered by the courts.
“Failure to comply will attract a massive and peaceful protest. We are mobilising our youths to stop this dictatorship by Bichi and his operatives”, Musa said.