The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Comrade Usman Okai Austin, a former member of the House of Representatives for the Dekina/Bassa federal constituency.
Okai, known for his vocal criticism of Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, was reportedly picked up from his residence on Wednesday in what activist Omoyele Sowore described as a “Gestapo-style” operation.
Sowore, taking to social media platform X, condemned the arrest, accusing the DSS of acting as a tool for political suppression.
“Imagine how these lawless DSS mercenaries are abducting, torturing, and dehumanizing a Nigerian citizen, @Austinokai, just because he expresses himself against illegitimate Gov. Ododo of Kogi State,” Sowore wrote.
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He further called for Okai’s immediate release, insisting that government security agencies should not be used as “mercenaries for corrupt political figures.”
Okai has been an outspoken critic of Ododo’s administration, recently calling out the governor over what he described as the “unchecked and excessive powers” of Kogi State’s Accountant General, Habiba Onumoko.
He accused Onumoko of financial mismanagement and undue interference in governance, alleging that a “cabal” led by her had hijacked Ododo’s administration.
As of now, the DSS has yet to issue an official statement regarding Okai’s arrest, while calls for his release continue to gain traction online.