The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has formally queried the Department of State Services (DSS) regarding the prolonged detention of Ntari Danladi Hassan, a former National President of the Mumuye Youths, who has been held without trial since his arrest in 2021.
The NHRC’s inquiry, detailed in a letter sent to the DSS on June 20, 2025, seeks clarification on the legal basis for Danladi’s continued detention.
According to sources, Danladi was arrested at the Mumuye Cultural Development Association’s youth wing office in Jalingo, Taraba State.
The DSS confirmed to the NHRC that Danladi is in their custody at the Military Detention Facility in Wawa Cantonment, Niger State, and is alive.
However, despite a charge being filed against him on April 25, 2025, no court proceedings have occurred, raising concerns about due process violations.
The DSS alleges that Danladi, alongside Joshua Njiwa, attended military drills at an Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) camp in Abia State, which the Nigerian government declared a terrorist organization in 2017.
The agency claims it obtained valid court orders authorizing his detention under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
The NHRC’s action follows a petition highlighting Danladi’s case, prompting the Commission to demand accountability. Faith Ikenwe, an NHRC official, confirmed the DSS’s acknowledgment of Danladi’s detention but emphasized the need for transparency and adherence to human rights standards.
Danladi’s lawyer, Pius Danba Pius, noted the lack of judicial progress despite the recent filing of a three-count terrorism charge by the Office of the Attorney General, marking the first formal charge in four years.
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has also intervened, summoning the Nigerian Army, DSS, and Attorney General to address the detention.
Initially scheduled for July 16, 2025, the hearing was postponed to July 31 due to the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Committee has directed all parties to submit briefs and warned that failure to appear may result in the case being decided in their absence, citing Sections 88 and 89(C) of the Nigerian Constitution.
