Controversy Erupts After Department Of State Services Arrests Niger Delta Activist Owous

The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly arrested Niger Delta activist Owoupele Owous, raising concerns among his family and associates over his continued detention and alleged denial of access to lawyers and relatives.

According to reports, the activist was taken into custody around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Itakpe Train Station in Kogi State.

Sources said attempts to contact him after the arrest were unsuccessful. One source stated that repeated calls went unanswered, and his phone later became unreachable.

Following his arrest, Owous was reportedly transported to Abuja and handed over to the Karu Police Division for what authorities described as temporary “safekeeping.”

However, family members and associates who visited the police station said they were denied access to him. They were allegedly informed that he was not being held as a suspect under the police command but was only in temporary custody.

Sources further disclosed that on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, operatives of the DSS reportedly returned to the station and took him back into their custody.

Since then, the agency has allegedly restricted access to him, preventing family members and legal representatives from seeing him. This has fueled concerns about his welfare and the circumstances surrounding his detention.

Although officials have not publicly disclosed the reason for his arrest, some sources believe it may be linked to his recent activism concerning the Presidential Amnesty Programme. Owous was reportedly advocating for an increase in stipends for former agitators and calling for greater transparency in the programme’s administration under Dennis Otuaro.

He was also said to have written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging the decentralisation of the Niger Delta pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services, a firm associated with former militant leader Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

Family Raises Alarm Over Incommunicado Detention

Family members have expressed worry about the handling of his arrest, particularly the movement between police custody and DSS detention. They claim he is being held without access to family or legal counsel and have called for his immediate release.

As of the time of filing this report, the DSS had not issued an official statement addressing the arrest or the allegations surrounding his detention.

Meanwhile, Owous has previously faced legal proceedings. In August last year, he pleaded not guilty to a cyberstalking charge filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Emeka Nwite.

The case, initiated by then Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, accused him of publishing and circulating a petition alleging threats linked to Dennis Otuaro.

The charge, filed in July 2025 and later served in August 2025, included allegations of cyberstalking and claims that he knowingly circulated false information intended to damage reputations and cause public fear.

The matter remains part of his previous legal history as concerns continue over his current detention.