Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Enugu, Nigeria — After more than four years in detention, Callistus Ifedi — a Nigerian man held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since late 2021 over allegations related to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) — has finally been released from custody, family sources and activists report. The development brings a mix of relief and continued concern for his loved ones, as his wife, Calista Ifedi, remains unaccounted for, leaving lingering questions about her whereabouts and safety.
Callistus and Calista, both from the Ezeagu community in Enugu State’s Ezeagu Local Government Area, were taken from their home in November 2021 by security operatives seeking to question them over alleged ties to IPOB. Since that day, their fate has been shrouded in uncertainty, with no official updates from authorities and widespread fears about enforced disappearance under Nigeria’s security apparatus.
While human rights organisations had repeatedly called for transparency and accountability in their detention, citing the couple among many civilians who have disappeared in connection with security operations in the South‑East, it was unclear for years whether the Ifedis were being held in any recognised detention facility or had been brought before a court.
The recent release of Callistus is being welcomed by family members and civil society advocates as a positive development after years of silence and anguish. Multiple sources within rights groups say that public pressure, documentation of enforced disappearance cases, and advocacy efforts helped draw attention to his prolonged detention. Although official DSS comment on the release has not been made public, the event aligns with broader reviews of long‑standing detentions that have seen some suspects freed or reconsidered under the current leadership of the agency.
However, Calista’s situation remains unresolved. According to human rights reporting, she was last seen by a fellow detainee at a military detention facility near Kainji Dam in Niger State, where her health was reported to have deteriorated due to chronic conditions including high blood pressure, ulcers and severe bleeding. Her absence from the recent release has compounded family fears and intensified calls for authorities to clarify her status or bring her home if she is still alive.
Relatives say they have not received official confirmation of Calista’s condition or location, and that communication remains cut off. Since the couple’s disappearance, their children have faced severe hardship; their eldest daughter reported having to abandon her education to support her siblings amid the sudden absence of both parents.
Human rights defenders argue that the case of the Ifedis reflects a broader pattern of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances linked to anti‑separatist and counter‑insurgency operations in southeastern Nigeria. Amnesty International and other groups have documented numerous cases in which individuals allegedly detained by state security agents have vanished without charge or judicial oversight, prompting international concern about due process and human rights compliance.
The family of Calista and campaigners are urging the DSS and relevant authorities to disclose her whereabouts, ensure her safety, and facilitate her unconditional release if she is alive. They also call for a formal investigation into the circumstances of both her and Callistus’s detention to prevent future disappearances and uphold the rule of law.
As Nigerians continue to grapple with the complexities of security enforcement and civil liberties, the mixed outcome of Callistus’s release and Calista’s continued absence underscores the urgent need for greater transparency, respect for legal due process, and accountability by security agencies entrusted with national safety.
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