The Department of State Services (DSS) has finally released Mr. Ibrahim Dan-Halilu, eleven days after he was arrested at his residence in Rigachikun, Kaduna.
Dan-Halilu, a former Political Editor at Daily Trust newspaper, had been picked up by the intelligence agency over a Facebook post he made allegedly “supporting” Revolution Now movement.
The movement was convened by Omoyele Sowore, detained publisher of Sahara Reporters and Presidential candidate of Action Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 election.
Dan-Halilu, a former staunch supporter of President Muhammadu before the 2015 elections was once a communication specialist with USAID, Information Assistant at the US Embassy and a Regional Communication Specialist for Family Health.
A DSS officer told PRNigeria on Saturday that the journalist was released in Kaduna at about 6pm on Friday.
Withinnigeria gathered that Dan-Halilu was released last Wednesday after preliminary investigation but was re-arrested after the operatives of DSS in Kaduna received a directive from Abuja that he should be made to undergo further grilling.
A family source, who prefers to remain anonymous, confirmed that Dan-Halilu has been released and is happy to be re-united with his loved ones after a long while.
The Facebook post that put him against the state reads: “I feel I should share because it resonates with me. If resonates with you too, please share until all oppressed people of Nigeria get the message and domesticate it. This is #Not the Nigeria of My Dream.
“Somebody asked me why we need a revolution now, this was my reply: The aim of the revolution is to challenge the uncommon hardship why we have 16m children on the street; challenge why we have become the poverty capital of the world; challenge why we have 20 persons with corrupt cases as federal legislators and would-be ministers.
“We need to restructure the country. We need to put an end to trillions spent on electricity while we live in darkness and pay estimated bill for electricity and meters. Why do we have huge oil reserves but our refineries are dead and we are re-importing what we exported as crude oil? It is time to ask why those in government travel abroad for medical care when they have left our hospitals dilapidated; why they send their children to school abroad when our children learn under mango trees.
“We are revolting against the continuing killings that have left 20,000 Nigerians dead while those in office move around under state paid security and do nothing. We are revolting against the because over a thousand Nigerians soldiers killed by Boko Haram have been secretly buried without identifiable graves, dignity or honour. $16m was purportedly spent on mosquito nets but our children die daily from malaria. $320m Abacha loot was purportedly distributed to the poor. Where is the verifiable list? N500bn was purportedly distributed to the poor as so-called Trader-moni. Where is the verifiable list?
“With divine grace, God gave us about 40 natural resources spread across the length and breadth of the country. No country on mother earth is as blessed! The persons destroying Nigeria in and out of government are less than 10,000. For how long will the 201 million of us be silent? Forever?
“It will be sheer stupidity and very unfair of us to be silent and bequeath today’s sorry Nigeria to our children. For how long shall we continue to endure bad leadership from certificate forgers, election riggers, ritualists and yahoo politicians, hoping upon hope for a better tomorrow when things get worse by the day? We are too rich to be poor. We are too blessed to be a mockery of the world!!! No!!!”
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