Department of State Services, on Monday, refused to release five youths arrested at Dunamis Gospel Church for wearing ‘Buhari Must Go’ shirts.
DSS arrested the youths as they were leaving Dunamis headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday.
On Monday, human rights activists – Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju – visited the Senior Pastor of the church, Paul Enenche.
Adeyanju, who briefed newsmen at the end of their meeting with Enenche, quoted the Dunamis pastor as denying having a hand in the arrest of the five youths.
He further quoted the cleric as saying that the youths did not stage a protest inside the church auditorium and that he would ensure that the youths are released.
Adeyanju said, “He (Enenche) was preaching when the incident happened and it was three hours later, after the third service that he was informed of what happened and he had even taken steps to ensure that they are released but you know the overzealous security agencies we have in this country.”
He added that the church had no hand in the arrest of the youths from all indications.
Sowore, who also spoke, said he had been able to confirm that the DSS arrested the youths.
“The DSS was lying. We have confirmed that they (arrested youths) were taken to the DSS,” Sowore said.
But the short press briefing which was held on the fringe of the church premises, took a dramatic turn when an armed policeman asked everyone to leave.
When the policeman was challenged, he threatened to shoot journalists saying, “I will kill somebody here,” just as he complained about being captured by a reporter’s camera.
DSS had yet to make any statement on the youths’ arrest as of the time of filing this report.