The admission comes after more than two years of silence from the security agency, during which Mrs. Ifedi’s family and human rights activists had been demanding answers about her fate.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has officially confirmed that Mrs. Calista Ifedi, who had been held in detention since November 2021, died while in custody at Wawa Barracks, Niger State.
The admission comes after more than two years of silence from the security agency, during which Mrs. Ifedi’s family and human rights activists had been demanding answers about her fate.
Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, disclosed the confirmation on Monday evening, calling it a shocking testament to the lawlessness and impunity of the DSS under the leadership of Yusuf Bichi during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Mrs. Calista Ifedi died at Wawa Barracks two years ago under unlawful detention by the lawless Department of State Services (DSS). I share this painful account to bear witness to a grave injustice and to expose the burden of impunity inflicted on Nigerians by the DSS,” Sowore said.
Mrs. Ifedi, who ran a small restaurant in Enugu, was arrested alongside her husband, Sunday Ifedi, at their home on November 23, 2021.
According to her husband, who was only released in December 2025, the couple’s detention was arbitrary, with no formal charges filed against them.
Sowore and other advocates, including Amnesty International Nigeria and lawyer Barrister Deji Adeyanju, have repeatedly stated that Mrs. Ifedi’s only alleged offence was that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had purchased food from her establishment.
She was violently apprehended, taken into DSS custody, and disappeared from public knowledge for months.
“While in detention at Wawa Barracks, Mrs. Ifedi fell ill. Instead of receiving medical care, her repeated complaints were ignored. She was allegedly taunted and left to deteriorate until she died,” Sowore said.
Meanwhile, Sunday Ifedi revealed that the last time he saw his wife was in March 2022, when they were taken from DSS headquarters to Wawa Barracks and separated.
He was never informed of her death until Sowore personally called him to convey the devastating news ahead of the public disclosure.
"Her husband was never informed of her death. Tonight, I personally called him to convey this devastating news before making it public.
"These are egregious crimes. Nigeria must immediately shut down the Wawa Barracks detention facility. Every official involved in the unlawful detention, neglect, and death of Mrs. Calista Ifedi must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted," the former presidential candidate stated.
The human rights activist have condemned the DSS, accusing it of operating with impunity and disregarding the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.
Sowore further noted that the DSS under Yusuf Bichi, with legal backing from former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, SAN, presided over a system that routinely violated citizens’ rights, particularly during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
“This tragedy occurred during the period when Yusuf Bichi presided over the DSS with unchecked brutality, aided and protected by Abubakar Malami, SAN, under the criminal Muhammadu Buhari regime. History must not forget, and justice must not be denied.
"Mrs. Calista Ifedi deserved life, dignity, and justice. Nigeria must produce her dead body, and an autopsy must be carried out to determine the circumstances of her death," he added.