FREE SPEECH UNDER FIRE?:DATTI’S DSS Invitation Lights Up Public Anger
By Paul Ebi
Abuja, Nigeria — A fresh wave of national controversy broke out on Friday after the Department of State Services (DSS) invited Baze University founder and Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, over what security officials describe as “sustained inciteful commentary capable of destabilising the Nigerian State.”
A top security source, who spoke under anonymity, revealed that the DSS had been tracking Baba-Ahmed’s increasingly fiery public remarks, especially his repeated claims alleging that Nigeria is already in a “constitutional crisis.”
According to the source, the final trigger was his recent appearance on national television where he blamed both the judiciary and the military for permitting the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
> “He even went as far as saying that the swearing-in of President Tinubu is what empowers the military to look Nigerians in the face and call them ‘bloody fools.’ These are dangerous undertones in a fragile political climate,” the security insider disclosed.
NATION ON EDGE AS COMMENTARY EVOKES FEAR OF INSTABILITY
Security circles are reportedly alarmed at how Baba-Ahmed’s rhetoric mirrors patterns that triggered political instability in countries like Guinea-Bissau, the source added.
> “This has nothing to do with politics or party lines. It’s about national survival. When public figures use language that can weaken trust in state institutions, we cannot afford complacency,” he warned.
The DSS invitation, he explained, is part of preventive protocols aimed at de-escalating rhetoric before it snowballs into unrest.
> “These sessions are not punitive. They are meant to clarify intent and prevent narratives that may inadvertently fuel public agitation.”
PUBLIC REACTION: OUTRAGE, FEAR, AND QUESTIONS OVER FREE SPEECH
News of the invitation has already sparked intense public outrage, with citizens sharply divided:
Some accuse Baba-Ahmed of crossing red lines, describing his comments as reckless, inflammatory, and capable of provoking unrest.
Others insist the DSS is overreaching, framing the invitation as yet another attempt to silence dissenting voices critical of the current administration.
Many Nigerians express deeper fears that the political temperature is rising to dangerous levels, and that the state may be slipping into an era where political speech is increasingly criminalized.
“SECURITY EFFORTS ARE A JOKE” — THE COMMENT THAT RAISED EYEBROWS
Another statement raising concern was Baba-Ahmed’s dismissal of the government’s security reforms as “a joke” — a comment sources say could weaken public trust in institutions already battling credibility challenges.
A NATION WATCHES CLOSELY
As Baba-Ahmed heads to the DSS office, the nation is gripped by tension, uncertainty, and growing anger over what many see as a dangerous escalation in Nigeria’s volatile political environment.
Is this a legitimate security precaution — or the beginning of a clampdown on political dissent?For now, Nigeria watches, divided and uneasy, as one of the country’s most outspoken opposition figures faces interrogation over words that have shaken the system.
