Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Social media influencer and activist Justice Mark Chidiebere, popularly known as Justice Crack, has been released from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), ending a nearly four-week detention that sparked widespread outrage and raised serious questions about the agency's respect for court orders. His release was confirmed on Thursday night, May 21, 2026, by human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who announced the development on his X handle. "Justice Crack is out now. He is finally free from the unjust detention imposed by the lawless Department of State Services (DSS). This victory belongs to all who spoke out, resisted intimidation, and demanded justice," Sowore wrote.
Chidiebere's ordeal began in late April 2026 when he was arrested by the Nigerian Army following a viral video posted on his X handle in which he highlighted complaints allegedly made by military personnel about poor feeding and welfare conditions within their barracks. The army transferred him to the DSS, which subsequently arraigned him before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a three-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime offences. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, presiding over the case, ordered that the defendant be remanded in DSS custody pending the commencement of trial. His initial bail hearing suffered a setback after a disagreement among his lawyers over who should lead his defence forced the court to strike out the existing bail application.
On May 18, 2026, Chidiebere's legal team filed a fresh bail application, and Justice Abdulmalik granted him bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum. The court imposed stringent conditions on the surety: the individual must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15, must have maintained a fixed residential address within the court's jurisdiction for at least four years, must provide proof of residence through a tenancy agreement or certificate of occupancy, must show evidence of at least three months' salary payment, and must depose to an affidavit of means. The court also ordered Chidiebere to deposit his international passport with the court registry as a condition of his release.
However, what should have been a straightforward path to freedom turned into a standoff when the DSS refused to release Chidiebere's passport to his lawyers. The activist had reportedly fulfilled virtually all his bail conditions, but without his passport, he could not comply with the court's order to deposit it. Sowore, who had been vocal throughout the case, accused the secret police of deliberately withholding the document to frustrate the court's ruling. "It should be noted that Justice Mark Chidiebere, aka Justice Crack, has fulfilled virtually all his bail conditions except one issue involving the deposit of his international passport," Sowore wrote on May 21. "Ironically, the passport is currently in the custody of the lawless DSS, which has refused to release it to his lawyers to enable full compliance with the bail conditions and secure his release from unjust detention." He further alleged that the bail conditions themselves appeared to have been deliberately designed to make compliance impossible, thereby prolonging the activist's unlawful incarceration despite the court's ruling.
The DSS did not issue any public statement responding to Sowore's allegations, but shortly after his posts went viral, Chidiebere was released. A video circulated online showing him outside what appeared to be a DSS facility at night, surrounded by supporters including activist Randy Peterz, who celebrated alongside others at the scene. The circumstances of his release remain unclear; authorities have not issued a detailed public statement clarifying the full terms surrounding his freedom or addressing the passport dispute.
Chidiebere's case has ignited a fierce public debate about freedom of expression, digital activism, and the conduct of Nigeria's security agencies. His supporters argue that he was merely amplifying the voices of soldiers who were too afraid to speak out about their conditions, and that his arrest was a form of retaliation for exposing uncomfortable truths about the military. His critics, however, maintain that his posts amounted to incitement and cybercrime, and that the DSS was within its rights to prosecute him. The case has also drawn attention to the growing use of cybercrime laws to target activists and online commentators, a trend that human rights organisations have condemned as a threat to democratic freedoms.
As Chidiebere steps out of DSS custody, his legal battle is far from over. The Federal High Court has adjourned the case to May 25, 2026, for the commencement of his trial on the cybercrime charges. His lawyers are expected to argue that his posts were constitutionally protected expressions of opinion and not criminal offences. For now, however, the activist who was tied to a tree and left outside for 72 hours, according to a relative's emotional account, has finally tasted freedom. Sowore's words capture the mood of many who followed the case: "This victory belongs to all who spoke out, resisted intimidation, and demanded justice."
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