Operatives of the Department of State Services allegedly stormed the residence of Samaila Kaigama, President of the Borno South Youth Alliance (BOYSA), on Friday afternoon, according to human rights activist Omoyele Sowore. The raid reportedly occurred at about 4 p.m., when armed operatives arrived in two Hilux vehicles and ransacked the property.

Sowore, a 2027 presidential candidate, disclosed the development in a post on X. He wrote that “lawless DSS operatives today stormed the home of BOYSA President, Samaila Kaigama at about 4 p.m in two Hilux vehicles, heavily armed, and proceeded to ransack the house.” Consequently, the incident has intensified scrutiny of the agency’s handling of Kaigama’s detention, which began earlier in the week.

According to Sowore, the operatives chained Kaigama’s legs during the operation and combed through the entire premises. They reportedly told him they needed evidence to charge him in court. Despite the thorough search, however, they allegedly found nothing to support any formal charge.

Meanwhile, Sowore further alleged that Kaigama has continued to face severe maltreatment in DSS custody. He claimed that Kaigama has been denied food and forced to drink water from the toilet, apparently in an attempt to pressure him into surrendering evidence in his possession.

“He has remained resolute, insisting that he will only present whatever evidence he has in a court of law after he has been formally charged,” Sowore wrote.

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The DSS has not publicly responded to these specific allegations, and the claims have not been independently verified. Still, they arrive against the backdrop of a case that has already drawn significant national attention.

The agency first arrested Kaigama on Wednesday in Abuja, shortly after he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. During that interview, he alleged that roughly ₦5 billion had been paid to Boko Haram to secure the release of women and children abducted from Ngoshe, a community in Borno State’s Gwoza Local Government Area. He also claimed to possess evidence backing his allegations and accused authorities of suppressing media coverage of the matter.

Notably, Kaigama’s television appearance implicated former Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume, whom he accused of acting as an intermediary in the ransom negotiations. Ndume has firmly denied the allegation.

“I have said it already. In my life, I have never seen ₦1 billion cash, not to talk of ₦5 billion,” he said, insisting that his only involvement was alerting the National Security Adviser and the DSS after Kaigama informed him of a video in which insurgents demanded the ransom.

Following Kaigama’s arrest, a lawyer from Deji Adeyanju’s law firm attempted to visit him at DSS headquarters. According to Sowore, the lawyer waited for over an hour before operatives denied him access to both Kaigama and the agency’s premises. As a result, the lawyer left without seeing his client.

The arrest has also drawn condemnation from Amnesty International Nigeria, which described it as arbitrary. In a statement, the rights organization urged Nigerian authorities to either release Kaigama immediately, grant him access to legal counsel, or formally arraign him in court. The group additionally argued that the government should prioritize investigating Kaigama’s claims rather than detaining him, noting that communities across northern Nigeria continue to endure attacks by armed groups.

For his part, Sowore has demanded Kaigama’s immediate release, framing the detention as an apparent attempt to silence a whistleblower.

“His arrest appears intended to silence him. It will not happen,” he said.

As of this report, the DSS has neither confirmed the specific circumstances of the raid nor addressed the broader allegations of mistreatment. Therefore, the full picture surrounding Kaigama’s detention and the claims he has made remains unresolved, pending any official response from the agency or further developments in the case.