By Truthlive News International
Nigeria has been confronted once again with a harrowing reminder of the human cost of impunity, following the admission by the Department of State Services that Mrs Calista Ifedi died while in its custody at the notorious Wawa Barracks detention facility. Mrs Ifedi, unlawfully detained since 2021, reportedly died two years ago after falling ill in custody and being denied adequate medical care, a revelation that has sent shockwaves across human rights circles and the wider Nigerian public.
Mrs Ifedi was arrested on 23 November 2021 alongside her husband, Sunday Ifedi, at their home in Enugu by operatives of the Department of State Services. Her alleged offence, which has since drawn widespread condemnation, was that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra were said to have purchased food at her small restaurant. For this, she was violently taken into custody, denied due process, and disappeared into prolonged detention. Her husband, who was only released in December 2025, last saw her in March 2022 when they were transferred from DSS headquarters to Wawa Barracks, separated, and never allowed to see each other again.
According to accounts that emerged through sustained advocacy by Amnesty International Nigeria, legal practitioners, and rights activists, Mrs Ifedi fell seriously ill while in detention. Instead of receiving medical attention, her pleas were allegedly ignored, and she was subjected to cruel taunts while her condition deteriorated. She eventually died in custody, yet her family was never informed. In a deeply distressing development, her husband reportedly learned of her death only recently, after being personally contacted before the information was made public.
Human and civil rights activist Omoyele Sowore revealed the details of this case in a public statement shared on Facebook on Monday, describing Mrs Ifedi’s death as a grave injustice and a damning indictment of state-sponsored lawlessness. He called for the immediate closure of Wawa Barracks as a detention facility and demanded that all officials involved in her unlawful detention, medical neglect, and death be identified, arrested, and prosecuted. He further insisted that Nigeria must produce Mrs Ifedi’s body and conduct an independent autopsy to establish the true circumstances surrounding her death.
The tragedy, which occurred during the tenure of former DSS Director General Yusuf Bichi, has reignited painful memories of an era many Nigerians associate with unchecked brutality and institutional silence. As outrage grows, so too does the demand for accountability. Mrs Calista Ifedi deserved life, dignity, and justice. Her death is not just a personal loss to her family, but a national wound that underscores the urgent need to confront impunity and reaffirm the sanctity of human life in Nigeria. Truthlive News International will continue to follow this story as calls for justice intensify.
