Former Governor of the Eastern Bar Forum, Williams Soseipiriye Esq, has demanded the immediate release of Pius Awoke Esq. from the custody of the State Security Service (SSS).
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Idrinstitute.jpg")
Awoke was abducted by SSS officers on July 27, 2021, while returning to Abakaliki from Abuja after attending the hearing of the case of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
Soseipiriye expressed concern over the abduction and continued incarceration of Awoke and others who were taken into custody alongside him, questioning when it became a crime in Nigeria for citizens to attend the hearing of a fellow Nigerian’s case. He strongly condemned the actions of the SSS, describing them as “Gestapo cravings” that cannot be tolerated in a democracy.
“The actions of the SSS in our democracy is a cause for alarm to all well-meaning Nigerians,” Soseipiriye stated. He called for the immediate release of Awoke and all others who were abducted on that day, emphasizing that the SSS and the Nigerian government are pushing citizens to the wall with their “absurd, crooked, cruel and grotesque dance steps.”
Soseipiriye acknowledged that the State Security Service was established with good intentions but noted that since its formation, the agency has consistently produced the worst outcomes. He likened the situation to the words of the Israeli Prime Minister, who once said, “Best intentions don’t prevent worst outcomes.”
The former Governor’s call for the release of Pius Awoke Esq. and others has added to the growing concern over the actions of the SSS and the need for the agency to respect the rights of Nigerian citizens.
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