In what many are calling a brazen crackdown on free speech and democratic accountability, operatives of Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), have arrested a prominent government critic, Isheu Ibrahim Jadda, in Gashua, Yobe State. His “offence”? Exposing a staggering N5.73 billion water project commissioned with fanfare—but allegedly without a single drop of water.
Jadda, a vocal critic of Nigeria’s former Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, was apprehended on Friday and held overnight before being transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Damaturu on Saturday morning, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Sources close to the matter revealed that Jadda’s arrest stemmed from his public condemnation of a so-called “Federal Government Water Supply Scheme” in Yobe, which he described as a “white elephant project.” The project was officially unveiled amidst much celebration, but residents allege the taps have remained bone-dry.
“He was arrested for commenting on the wastefulness of the N5.73 billion water scheme which, despite being commissioned, has failed to supply water. It’s just another government showpiece without substance,” said a source familiar with the incident.
Since the arrest, a wave of public outrage has swept across social media and the streets of Yobe. Supporters, civil society groups, and political observers have decried the move as an egregious assault on the freedom of expression.
“Anyone who fears criticism, truth-telling, or opposition has no business in politics. Democracy thrives on dissent,” one of Jadda’s supporters said.
Opposition parties in the state have joined the chorus of condemnation, labeling the arrest as “a chilling reminder of the shrinking space for dissent in Nigeria.” They argue that the use of security agencies to muzzle critics is a dangerous trend that threatens the very fabric of democracy.
As calls mount for Jadda’s immediate and unconditional release, many Nigerians are left questioning whether exposing corruption and demanding accountability have become crimes in a country that professes to be a democracy.
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