By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
Ibadan, Nigeria — Renowned human rights lawyer and activist, Mr. Femi Aborisade, has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Andrew Emelieze, the Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum, who was detained once again on July 3, 2025, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at their Oyo State Command office in Ibadan.
Aborisade, in a firm public statement issued Thursday night, described the actions of the DSS as unlawful, oppressive, and without any legal justification, and called on the agency to either release his client immediately or charge him to court if there is any legitimate offence.
“If he has committed any offence known to law, he should be charged to court. Otherwise, he should be released immediately,” Aborisade declared.
Comrade Emelieze had earlier been detained on June 30, 2025, and released on July 1, after being questioned about his leadership role in the Federal Workers Forum and plans to mobilize workers for a peaceful protest in Abuja. His lawyer, Yusuff Akinola, Esq. of Abope Chambers, accompanied him to secure bail and has documented the troubling conditions surrounding both arrests.
On July 3, Emelieze was again invited by the DSS—reportedly to complete “bail documentation”—but was instead subjected to another round of arbitrary detention. Akinola, who was present at the DSS office that evening, was later advised to leave while Emelieze remained in custody under vague pretenses, with officers citing a yet-to-arrive “senior officer” who never showed up.
“This is not justice. This is harassment,” Akinola stated. “There were no new allegations, no warrants, and no valid reason to re-detain someone already granted bail.”
The DSS has not issued any formal statement, but internal officers informally cited “incitement and public disturbance” as the alleged offences—charges Akinola argues were never substantiated, documented, or properly communicated in accordance with the law.
Aborisade further noted that denying a citizen access to legal counsel and detaining them without charge contravenes the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory.
Newspot Nigeria has obtained and published the full legal report and official statement by Mr. Femi Aborisade, reproduced in its entirety below.
FULL STATEMENT BY FEMI ABORISADE & LEGAL TEAM
Femi Aborisade Demands Release of Comrade Andrew Emelieze, Co-ordinator of Federal Workers Forum
My client, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, who has been championing the struggle for the welfare of workers employed by the Federal Government, has been detained again today, 3/7/25, by the State Security Service (SSS) in Ibadan.
It should be recalled that the Comrade was first detained on 30/6/25 and released the following day on 1/7/25.
Today, he was invited by the same DSS and detained again for no stated reason.
According to the report of Mr. Yusuff Akinola, the lawyer from Abope Chambers who went to secure his bail on 1/7/25 and who also accompanied him today to the SSS office, no specific allegation of any offence was made against Comrade Andrew Emelieze. Indeed, according to Andrew Emelieze, his interrogation on 30/6/25 through 1/7/25 revolved only around facts relating to the formation of the Federal Workers Forum.
Today, 3/7/25, after he honoured the invitation of the SSS, he was asked to wait for a Senior Officer who never showed up to interrogate him.
I call on the SSS to release my client, Comrade Andrew Emelieze. If he has committed any offence known to law, he should be charged to court.
Below are the verbatim reports of Yusuff Akinola Esq on 1/7/25 and 3/7/25, which show nothing but sheer harassment of a law-abiding citizen in the person of Comrade Andrew Emelieze.
REPORT OF VISIT TO THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SECURITY SERVICE (SSS), OYO STATE COMMAND, ON THE ARREST, DETENTION AND RELEASE ON BAIL OF COMRADE ANDREW EMELIEZE FROM 30TH JUNE THROUGH 1ST JULY 2025
Around 11 a.m. of 1/7/2025, I got to the premises of the Oyo State Command of the SSS located at Aleshinloye, Ibadan, Oyo State. I was initially prevented from entering the premises by the officers at the entrance gate on the ground that no lawyer can see anyone in their custody until the Investigation Officer has directly and formally invited the counsel. Later, when I stated we might make a public statement that our client had been denied access to a lawyer of his choice, I was eventually allowed to enter their main building at about 11:15 a.m.
The officers at the counter directed me to wait at the visitors’ room on the ground floor, that the Investigation Officer would come out to invite me to the Interrogation Room. After 40 minutes, the same officer informed me that they were attending to Comrade Andrew Emelieze and that I would be allowed to see him at a later time. Around 2 p.m., an officer who they all addressed as ‘DLS’ invited me to his office where I identified him to be their lawyer. The SSS lawyer ordered the Investigation Officer to bring Comrade Andrew to his office.
Upon the production of Comrade Andrew in their lawyer’s office, I asked for the reason for his arrest and detention. Neither the lawyer nor the Investigation Officer could state the particular reason for the arrest and detention. Rather, the lawyer showed me the statement written by Comrade Andrew and he asked Comrade Andrew if he was tortured and whether the statement was made voluntarily. Comrade Andrew responded that he was never tortured and his statement was made voluntarily.
Comrade Andrew Emelieze’s statement was his responses to the questions put to him about the historical facts on the formation of the Federal Workers Forum led by the Comrade, which had planned a protest in Abuja for 1/7/25.
Thereafter, we were led to the ‘ADS’ office where I orally applied for Comrade Andrew’s bail. I was informed that it was not their practice to take oral application for bail. They requested that the bail should be applied with our office letterhead within 1 hour because their officers were preparing to head out of their premises.
By 2:56 p.m., I submitted, at the counter, the handwritten application for bail with Abope Chambers’ letterhead. We were given a bail bond to fill around 3 p.m., but we had to wait till 6 p.m. before Comrade Andrew could be released because none of the officers present could tell us the offence Comrade Andrew had allegedly committed. Meanwhile, we needed to state the alleged offence on the bail bond.
Around 6 p.m., the Investigation Officer came back and informed us that the alleged offences were “Incitement and Public Disturbance.”
Comrade Andrew was finally released around 6 p.m. and we left their premises by 6:15 p.m.
— Yusuff Akinola, Esq.
REPORT OF VISIT TO THE SSS OFFICE TODAY 3/7/25 AND DETENTION OF COMRADE ANDREW EMELIEZE
Sequel to the invitation of Comrade Andrew Emelieze by the SSS, on the ground that there was a document we were yet to sign to perfect his earlier bail granted on 1/7/2025, Comrade Andrew and I went to the SSS Command this evening and entered their premises around 5:17 p.m.
Upon entering their main building, we were informed by one of the officers that an unidentified senior officer wanted to ask him a few questions. Hence, Comrade Andrew was directed to wait at the Waiting Room. The officer then advised that I could leave so that they wouldn’t waste my time. I informed him that we were invited only to come and “perfect the bail” earlier granted and I informed him that I wouldn’t leave my client behind. He therefore stated that I could stay with Comrade Andrew at the Waiting Room till the time the said senior officer would return back to office.
After 40 minutes, I informed the officer at the counter that we would like to leave and come back tomorrow since Comrade Andrew was already on bail and he needed to take his medication. The officer said I might leave but Comrade Andrew had to wait for the senior officer who was not available. I reminded the officer again that Comrade Andrew was on bail and there was no reason to detain him again since he had not jumped bail, and I further asked if he had been detained again. The officer didn’t respond to my question.
After 2 hours of waiting, around 7:18 p.m., I had to leave the SSS Command when it became obvious that their intention was to keep Comrade Andrew in their custody.
Upon reaching home around 9 p.m. because of the heavy rainfall and traffic, I saw two missed calls on my phone from the officer that invited us. I called him back and he informed me that the senior officer had returned but they found out I had left. I asked if they had released Comrade Andrew, he said I should come back to their office this night for the release of Comrade Andrew. I asked if he meant I had to apply for his bail again and the officer said yes. I informed him I would return to their office tomorrow, 4/7/25.
— Yusuff Akinola, Esq.
This report was filed and verified by Newspot Nigeria. For more on this developing story, stay with Newspot.
