The House of Representatives has summoned the Department of State Services (DSS), the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), and the Nigerian Army over the continued detention of Ntari Hassan Danladi, a former youth leader from Taraba State, who has been held without trial since 2021.
Danladi, a former National President of the Mumuye Youths, was arrested at the youth wing office of the Mumuye Cultural Development Association in Jalingo and remained in custody for four years before any formal charges were brought against him. His case has drawn public concern over alleged violations of constitutional rights and due process.
The DSS recently claimed that Danladi traveled with another individual to an IPOB camp in Abia State, where they allegedly participated in military training and weapon handling. The agency said his detention was carried out under valid court orders and in accordance with the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022. IPOB was officially designated a terrorist organization by a 2017 Federal High Court ruling.
Despite these claims, Danladi was only recently charged with three terrorism-related offenses by the Office of the Attorney General, after four years in military detention at Wawa Cantonment, Niger State.
In response to a petition on the matter, the House Committee on Public Petitions has summoned all parties to appear before it on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at the National Assembly in Abuja. The committee emphasized that failure to attend the hearing could result in the case being decided in their absence.
The development has sparked debate about the use of prolonged detention in terrorism cases, with legal experts and rights groups urging greater accountability and adherence to constitutional safeguards.
