The Department of State Services (DSS) has released a Kaduna-based farmer and livestock rearer, Nura Idris, after an internal review found no evidence linking him to boko haram terrorists, with the agency also paying him N3 million as compensation.
The release followed a directive by the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, after an investigation review panel cleared Idris of allegations of collaborating with the terrorist group.
Idris, who hails from Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was said to have been arrested by a sister security agency in Suleja, Niger State, in June 2024 over alleged terrorist links before being transferred to DSS custody.
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Following a comprehensive review of the case, the DSS panel reportedly found no basis for the allegations, prompting the Director-General to order Idris’s immediate release and approve financial compensation to support his reintegration.
Beyond the N3 million payment to meet his immediate needs, the DSS chief also pledged to assist Idris in rebuilding his livestock business, in line with what sources described as the agency’s reintegration support for individuals wrongfully detained.
Receiving the compensation, Idris expressed gratitude to the DSS leadership.
“I thank the DGSS for his kindness. I was well treated in DSS custody and I pray that Allah rewards the DGSS immensely,” Idris said.
His father, Yusuf Idris, who received him upon his release, also commended the DSS Director-General for what he described as compassion and generosity, assuring that the compensation would be used productively.
Security sources disclosed that the agency typically follows up on such cases by providing psychological and medical support before assisting victims to establish businesses of their choice.
The latest release is part of an internal review exercise initiated by the DSS last year to reassess inherited and prolonged detention cases, with the aim of ensuring that individuals wrongly held in custody are identified and released.
According to the sources, the exercise reflects the agency’s efforts to balance national security responsibilities with the protection of citizens’ rights.
The DSS has, in recent months, announced the release and compensation of several detainees whose cases were reviewed and found to lack sufficient evidence.
Among them was Sunday Ifedi, who was released in December 2025 after being cleared of alleged ties to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He reportedly received N10 million in compensation after spending years in detention.
The agency plans to rebuild a restaurant in memory of Ifedi’s late wife, Calista, who died while in custody, as part of efforts to compensate the family.
Similarly, Abuja-based businesswoman Chineze Ozoadibe and Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor were among detainees previously released following internal reviews, while several others allegedly linked to IPOB also received financial compensation after being cleared.
Last month, the DSS also released Ya’u Mohammed, a Yobe State resident, after investigations established that he had no links to terrorism, providing him with N2 million to aid his reintegration.
According to security sources, more than 30 detention cases have so far been reviewed under the ongoing exercise, with over N300 million paid in compensation to individuals found to have been wrongfully detained.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening public confidence in the agency while ensuring that the pursuit of national security is accompanied by respect for justice, human dignity and the rule of law.
