The Federal High Court in Abuja has exonerated the Department of State Services (DSS) in a lawsuit alleging the arrest, detention, and killing of Yusuf Lukman Omeiza, a suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operative. Justice Musa Liman ruled that the plaintiffs, Omeiza’s parents, failed to provide sufficient evidence that their son was killed while in DSS custody.
Omeiza, also known as Magas, was arrested on October 1, 2015, in Okene, Kogi State, for alleged terrorism-related offenses, including bank robberies and attacks on public offices. His parents filed the suit on February 18, 2021, seeking a declaration that the arrest and alleged killing violated his rights, and demanding N10 billion in damages.
The DSS denied the allegations, arguing that claims of Omeiza’s death were based on hearsay and lacked corroborating evidence. Counsel Abdullahi Muhammad presented documentation showing that the suspect had been transferred to a sister agency facility, supported by records from the Nigerian Human Rights Commission. The court noted the absence of any death certificate, police report, or testimony from medical personnel confirming Omeiza’s death.
Justice Liman dismissed the plaintiffs’ main claim, refusing the N10 billion damages, but awarded N300,000 in damages to the defendants for court costs. Omeiza’s alleged crimes included a robbery at First Bank, Okene, which resulted in the deaths of two policemen, and theft of salaries and funds from local offices in Kogi State.
