Ombatse: Detained suspect sues DSS, demand N50m as damages

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

A suspected sponsor of the outlawed Ombatse Eggon ethnic militia, Jonathan Tsaku, has sued the Department of State Services (DSS) over his wrongful arrest and subsequent detention at the headquarters of the agency in Abuja.

Tsaku made this known to journalists in Lafia, at the weekend, saying he was arrested by agents of the agency in April while going about his lawful activities, whereby he was detained for 31 days over an alleged involvement with the Ombatse.

In a legal notice, dated May 23, addressed to the Director-General of the DSS, made available to journalists, signed by his solicitors, Dele Falana and Co, the legal practitioners, averred that their client was illegally detained without justification or reason sanctioned by law at the headquarters of the agency between April 17 2014 and May 16, 2014.

“We consider this detention within the stated period as illegal, unjust, dehumanizing and a violation of his fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended”, the letter read in part.

The law firm affirmed that, in view of the foregoing, they are demanding for the payment of the sum of N50 million damages as compensation for the infringement on Tsaku’s fundamental rights by the DSS, stressing that in the event their client is not compensated as demanded within 7 days of the receipt of their letter, the firm would be left with no option than to commence legal proceedings against the agency.

Jonathan Tsaku, a prominent Eggon politician from Nasarawa state, alleged he was arrested by DSS agents while leaving the residence of Sen. Solomon Ewuga in Abuja and was detained for 31 days, where he was interrogated over the activities of the Ombatse accused of the brutal murder of scores of security operatives in Alakyo last year.