Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of medical neglect, intimidation, and covering up the death of Mrs. Calista Ifedi, a food vendor and mother of four, who died while in DSS custody at Wawa Barracks.

Sowore stated that Mrs. Ifedi repeatedly complained of severe chest pains but was denied proper medical care, with her pleas mocked or dismissed and only occasional ulcer medication provided. He described the neglect as “cruel, deliberate, and ultimately fatal,” alleging it was systemic from the start of her detention.

Mrs. Ifedi and her husband, Sunday Ifedi, were arrested in November 2021 over alleged ties to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Both were held for years without formal charges or adequate access to legal and medical care. Sunday Ifedi was released in December 2025, while his wife died months earlier.

Sowore revealed that even when Amnesty International Nigeria intervened, the DSS allegedly denied that Mrs. Ifedi was in its custody. He also recounted conversations with Mrs. Ifedi’s daughter, Merit, who expressed grief over losing her mother and questioned why she would not witness milestones like her wedding.

He accused DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi of allegedly recruiting social media influencers to defend the agency’s actions, and warned that Sunday Ifedi had been threatened not to speak publicly about his wife’s death.

Calling the case “an indictment of a system that dehumanizes, intimidates, and kills,” Sowore demanded a thorough investigation and accountability, including punishment for former DSS Director General Yusuf Bichi, former AGF Abubakar Malami (SAN), and any DSS officials involved.

“Mrs. Calista Ifedi’s life mattered. Her death must not be reduced to a footnote, and her family must not be forced into silence,” he said.