Bauchi Man Taken By DSS A Day Before Daughter’s Wedding Spends Nearly 9 Months In Custody Without Trial

The Take-It-Back (TIB) Movement, Bauchi State Chapter, has demanded the immediate release or arraignment of Mallam Rabiu Habibu Wanka, who it said has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for nearly nine months without charge or trial.

The group also accused the DSS of disobeying an order of the Federal High Court in Bauchi directing the agency to arraign Wanka before a competent court within 14 days.

In a statement issued on Sunday, TIB State Coordinator, Nazif Bashi, said Wanka was arrested by masked men identified by his family as DSS operatives on January 8, 2026, in Kuitum, Bauchi Local Government Area.

The arrest reportedly occurred a day before his daughter’s wedding.

SaharaReporters had reported in April that Wanka’s family alleged that DSS operatives took him away shortly after he observed Zuhr prayers.

A family member had told SaharaReporters that Wanka “was masked and taken away in the presence of his children and community members, just a day before his daughter’s wedding.”

The family also alleged that about 20 DSS operatives raided Wanka’s home roughly two hours after his arrest without presenting a search warrant.

According to the family, the operatives allegedly destroyed food items and seized mobile phones, ATM cards, identity cards, a laptop and other documents belonging to family members and wedding guests.

“They conducted a raid, destroyed food items, and seized multiple personal belongings, including mobile phones, ATM cards, ID cards, a laptop, and important documents belonging to both family members and wedding guests,” a family source had said.

The family further alleged that security operatives returned on January 9 and took family members away for interrogation.

The family said they were held from about 10:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., when they were released following the intervention of the Mai Unguwa (community leader).

Since Wanka’s arrest, his family has repeatedly complained about being denied access to him and said they were not informed of the reason for his detention.

“A lawsuit has already been filed at the Federal High Court, Bauchi, in pursuit of justice. We filed a fundamental right enforcement action before the Federal High Court here in Bauchi, seeking among other reliefs, his immediate and unconditional release as well as damages,” a family member had told SaharaReporters.

Court Orders DSS To Arraign Wanka

According to TIB, the Federal High Court sitting in Bauchi on June 22, 2026, ordered the DSS to arraign Wanka before a competent court within 14 days.

The group said the DSS had admitted before the court that Wanka remained in custody without having been formally charged.

However, TIB said more than three months after the court order, the agency had yet to comply.

“More than three months later, it has not complied,” the group said.

It said Wanka’s legal team had subsequently filed a fresh action before the Federal High Court in Bauchi challenging the DSS’s failure to comply with the order.

TIB described the alleged non-compliance as a threat to the rule of law and the authority of the judiciary.

“The Take-It-Back (TIB) Movement, Bauchi State Chapter, condemns the continued detention of Mallam Rabiu Habibu Wanka by the Department of State Services (DSS) and demands that the agency comply with a subsisting order of the Federal High Court,” the statement said.

Family Allegedly Struggling

TIB also raised concerns about the impact of Wanka’s prolonged detention on his family.

Bashi said he visited the family’s home in Kuitum and found them facing severe financial hardship.

According to the group, Wanka was the family’s breadwinner and his prolonged absence had placed significant pressure on his wife and children.

His wife, Amina, reportedly told TIB that some household belongings had been sold to provide food for the children.

The group said the parlour was largely empty, with only a television remaining.

Wanka’s 19-year-old son, Badamasi, has reportedly completed secondary school but is unable to afford university admission, while his younger siblings also require support for their education.

The group said Wanka’s 75-year-old mother, Ladi, whose health is reportedly declining, has been pleading to see her son.

TIB Makes Demands

TIB called on the DSS to either release Wanka immediately or comply with the court order by presenting him before a competent court.

It also demanded that the agency grant Wanka’s family and lawyers immediate access to him, provide appropriate medical care where necessary and disclose the reason for his arrest and detention.

The group called on the Attorney-General of the Federation and the National Judicial Council to intervene over the alleged non-compliance with the court order.

It also urged the National Human Rights Commission to investigate Wanka’s arrest, the alleged raid on his home, the seizure of property and the impact of his prolonged detention on his family.

TIB further called for compensation for Wanka and his family over the alleged detention, loss of property and distress suffered.

The group also appealed to civil society organisations, education-focused philanthropies and members of the public to support Wanka’s family with university tuition for Badamasi, schooling for his younger siblings, household needs and medical care for his elderly mother.

“TIB will continue to pursue this matter through legal and peaceful advocacy until Mallam Wanka is reunited with his family,” Bashi said. (SaharaReporters)