Garba Kilo, a Kano-based photographer was severely battered by operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) on the orders of A’isha Yusuf Bichi, wife of the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Yusuf Bichi.
According to DAILY NIGERIAN, the officials came after Kilo when their boss noticed he was filming an altercation between her and Abba Yusuf, Kano State governorship candidate New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
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The newspaper reported that A’isha ordered her irate personnel to “kill” Kilo when she saw him taking a video with his phone during her faceoff with Abba on Sunday.
The crisis reportedly began at the gate of VIP lounge of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano when motorcade of the politician caused a holdup, briefly delaying A’isha’s convoy from gaining passage into the controlled area.
The situation angered A’isha as her security guards started beating up people and hitting their vehicles. However, the photographer was not killed as she ordered, but he was severely brutalised.
When the governorship aspirant approached A’isha to complain, she began to rain insults, vowing she would frustrate his ambition to become the state governor, the medium added.
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“As Abba insisted on boarding the flight, a reinforcement of DSS personnel shortly arrived at the airport and cordoned off the lounge building. Some hefty-looking operatives then stormed into the lounge and told Abba that he was under arrest,” a source told the paper. “After Abba gave a statement, the DPO went to the left wing of the lounge to take her statement, but she declined, asking ‘do you know who I am? Who are you to even confront me to write a statement? The DPO later left without taking her statement.”
DAILY NIGERIAN reported that the DSS operatives later released Yusuf after the flight took off with their boss.
Peter Afunanya, spokesman for the SSS did not respond to questions about the incident. Similarly, spokesman for the governorship candidate, Sanusi Dawakintofa, could not be reached for comment.
Babaji Usman Babaji is an investigative journalist with over four years of experience, renowned for his impactful reporting on corruption, human rights violations, and holding those in power accountable in Nigeria.
His career is distinguished by participation in numerous media training programs and conferences, which have honed his investigative and reporting skills. Babaji’s data-driven stories have made a significant impact, particularly in Northern Nigeria, shedding light on critical issues and driving meaningful change.
As a reporter under WikkiTimes’ Collaborative Media (CMEDIA) Project, Babaji has led several groundbreaking investigations. He was a 2022 fellow of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and a 2024 Media Foundation for West Africa DPI/DPG fellow. His contributions to accountability journalism earned him a Certificate of Recognition from Xchange Hama Media for impactful community work.
