DSS reportedly summons Datti Baba-Ahmed

The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly invited Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, founder of Baze University and 2023 vice presidential candidate of Labour Party, following concerns that his recent public statements may be inciting against the Nigerian State, a security source confirmed on Friday.

According to a report by security analyst Zagozola Makama, sources said officials have been monitoring Baba-Ahmed’s media appearances in which he has repeatedly referenced what he calls a “constitutional crisis.”

The source noted that tensions rose after one of his recent televised interviews. “A few days ago, Baba-Ahmed was on national television blaming the judiciary and the military for allowing the swearing-in of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashmir Shettima. He even went to the length of inciting the military that it was President Tinubu’s swearing-in that made it possible for them to look you in the face and call you ‘bloody fools.'”

Officials reportedly view these remarks as capable of inflaming political sensitivities. The source added that such rhetoric has, in other countries including Guinea-Bissau, contributed to political instability.

“I believe the secret police is treating his comments with caution. It has nothing to do with politics, but the corporate existence of our nation could be threatened if such rhetoric is allowed to fester,” the source said.

He further referenced Baba-Ahmed’s alleged criticism of the judiciary and military.

Officials also cited his characterization of ongoing national security efforts as a “joke,” noting that such comments could undermine public trust in state institutions.

According to the source, the DSS invitation is in line with standard procedure. “These sessions are not punitive; they are preventive, focused on clarifying intent, contextualizing the remarks, and preventing the emergence of narratives that could unintentionally fuel unrest,” he stated.