DSS Admits Mrs. Calista Ifedi Died in Unlawful Detention at Wawa Barracks

The Department of State Services (DSS) has acknowledged the death of Mrs. Calista Ifedi, who languished in unlawful detention at Wawa Barracks in Niger State since her arrest in 2021. She was detained alongside her husband, Sunday (also known as Callistus) Ifedi, from their home in Enugu over allegations of selling food to members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). This revelation, shared by activist Omoyele Sowore, highlights a pattern of secret detentions and human rights abuses at the facility. ​

Arrest and Separation

Security agents raided the couple’s home on November 23, 2021, abducting them without formal charges or access to legal representation. The last time Sunday Ifedi saw his wife was in March 2022, after they were moved from DSS headquarters to Wawa Barracks and separated. He was released on December 19, 2025, but remained unaware of her fate until recently informed by Sowore. ​

Illness and Neglect in Custody

Reports indicate Mrs. Ifedi fell seriously ill while detained at Wawa Barracks but received no adequate medical attention, with her pleas allegedly ignored by authorities. Sowore described her “offense” as merely operating a restaurant where IPOB members reportedly bought food, underscoring the trivial basis for her prolonged incommunicado detention. Her death, occurring around two years ago, was concealed from her family, fueling demands for accountability. ​

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Advocacy Efforts

Amnesty International Nigeria, Sowore, and others like Deji Adeyanju campaigned relentlessly for the couple’s release, spotlighting Wawa Barracks as a site of “genocide by unlawful detention.” Sowore previously labeled the facility a “hidden horror” where hundreds, mostly IPOB sympathizers, endure secret trials and inhumane conditions without family or lawyer contact. These efforts led to Sunday Ifedi’s freedom but tragically confirmed his wife’s demise. ​

Calls for Justice

Activists demand the immediate closure of Wawa Barracks, prosecution of involved DSS officials, production of Mrs. Ifedi’s body for autopsy, and an end to impunity under past leadership like Yusuf Bichi and Abubakar Malami during the Buhari administration. Sowore emphasized that history must record these abuses to prevent recurrence. Families continue to suffer from such enforced disappearances, as noted in broader Amnesty reports on Nigerian security practices.