The Department of State Services (DSS) has apprehended former House of Representatives member for the Dekina/Bassa federal constituency, Comrade Usman Okai Austin.
Activist and politician Omoyele Sowore reported that DSS agents, acting in a manner reminiscent of a secret police, seized Okai from his home on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Sowore claimed that Okai’s arrest was linked to his criticism of Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo.
Sowore stated: “Can you believe how these lawless @OfficialDSSNG agents are abducting, torturing, and dehumanizing a Nigerian citizen, @Austinokai, simply for voicing his dissent against the illegitimate Governor Ododo of Kogi State? #RevolutionNow #FreeAustinOkaiNow
“Once again, the lawless @OfficialDSSNG is at it. @Austinokai must be released immediately, without any governmental security agencies acting as mercenaries for corrupt and unscrupulous political figures like Ododo and Yahaya Bello! #FreeAustinOkaiNow.”
Okai has been outspoken against various issues surrounding Ododo’s governance. Recently, he challenged the governor to rein in what he characterized as the “unchecked and excessive powers” wielded by the state’s Accountant General, Habiba Onumoko.
Okai accused the Accountant General of overstepping her constitutional boundaries and alleged mismanagement of funds and undue interference in the governance process, asserting that the “cabal” around Onumoko has effectively taken control of Ododo’s administration.
