27 Months Of Anguish: Prisca Dike’s Ordeal In DSS Detention
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the family of Elder Cletus Dike in Awka, Anambra State, has been engulfed in sorrow as his wife, Prisca Dike, a mother of eight, has been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja for the past two years.
Prisca was arrested by DSS operatives at 2 a.m. on April 14, 2022, at their home in Awka and subsequently transferred to the DSS headquarters in Abuja a week later. According to her husband, the family was not informed of her alleged offence and has been denied access to her, despite multiple attempts by their lawyer.
In a recent development, former detainees from the DSS facility informed the law firm of Nnaemeka Ejiofor and Associates about Prisca’s deteriorating health. An associate at the firm, Basilia A. Emejulu, revealed that Prisca had a hip dislocation prior to her arrest and was in urgent need of surgery.
Upon learning of her condition, the law firm wrote to the DSS on March 12, 2024, citing Prisca’s fundamental rights under Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and requesting access to her. Their plea was honored on May 29, 2024, when they were finally allowed to see Prisca, who appeared frail and was using crutches.
Prisca recounted her ordeal, describing how she was arrested in severe pain and received inadequate medical treatment for her hip injury while in detention. Instead of being taken to an orthopedic hospital, she was only treated for minor ailments like malaria.
During their meeting, the DSS served the law firm with court processes filed against Prisca on May 6, accusing her of being a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN). She faces charges under Section 25 of the Terrorism Act of 2022, including allegations of providing explosives to IPOB/ESN members, withholding information about the group’s activities, and receiving funds to finance their operations.
Emejulu emphasized that without the law firm’s intervention, Prisca might have remained in indefinite detention without formal charges. The lawyer called on the DSS to urgently transfer Prisca to an orthopedic hospital for the necessary surgery to alleviate her pain.
The law firm plans to apply for Prisca’s bail at the start of her trial to ensure she receives proper medical treatment. Elder Cletus also appealed for his wife’s urgent transfer to a hospital, noting that the family had been saving for her surgery before her arrest.
