Abuja-based human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has commended President Bola Tinubu and the Department of State Security (DSS) on the arrest and arraignment of nine suspects linked to bloody attacks in Benue and Plateau states.

Adeyanju a known critic of government hailed the President and the Director-General of the DSS, Mr. Tosin Ajayi, for the swift response to the deadly attacks in a post shared on his Facebook page on Thursday.

Director General of the Department of State Security Service, Mr. Tosin Adeola Ajayi.

He wrote: “I wish to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Director-General of the DSS for the arraignment of nine prime suspects linked to the tragic killings in Benue and Plateau states. This is a welcome step that gives hope to the affected communities that justice will be done and that the lost lives will not be forgotten.

“I believe this moment also serves an opportunity to call for the protection of Nigerians who are killed daily by bandits all over the country and also speed up the process of either releasing innocent people in custody of security agencies or charge those with a case to answer to court speedily. Citizens cannot continue to spend years in custody without charge. Too often, people are held in detention for long periods without being charged, and their families go through needless suffering. Justice delayed in this way affects both the innocent and the justice system itself.

“A reformed process that ensures timely investigation and prosecution will reinforce the credibility of our justice system and restore the confidence of the public in our institutions”.

The Department of State Services (DSS) had on Wednesday arraigned nine individuals before a Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged complicity in recent killings in Benue and Plateau states.

The nine, named as defendants in six separate charges took turn to enter their pleas to the allegations raised against them, including unlawful possession and dealing in firearms, assisting in terrorism activities, among others.

Those arraigned are Terkende Ashuwa (46 years) and Amos Alede (44 years) names in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/448/2025; Haruna Adamu (26) and Muhammed Abdullahi (48) in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/449/2025, and Halima Haliru Usman (32) in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/450/2025.

Others are Timna Manjo (46) and Nanbol Tali (75 years) in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/451/2025, Danjuma Antu (62) in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/452/2025 and Silas Iduh Oloche, named in a six-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/453/2025.

Out of the nine, only Manjo pleaded guilty to two out of the four counts contained in the charge on which he was arraigned with Tali.

● Earlier commendations for the DSS

Recall that Deji Adeyanju had in July, commended the Director-General of the Department of State Services for introducing a high level of professionalism in the agency.

Adeyanju, stated in a Facebook post, that the DSS under Ajayi respects human rights and has jettisoned the culture of overlooking the country’s laws in cases involving special interests.

He singled out the case of one Abdulyakini Salisu to show how much the secret police have improved professionally under its current D-G, saying the businessman has been released following the intervention of the leadership of the DSS.

Sahara Reporters had reported that Salisu, who owns a quarry along the Zuba–Kaduna Road, has been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2022 without being charged in court.

Adeyanju wrote: “This is indeed a very sad case that I have been following up with for weeks after a family friend of Salisu contacted me. It will soon be resolved. I have had series of meetings with the leadership of DSS over this and many similar cases and they have assured me the right thing will be done. More than 3 similar issues like this have been resolved and the persons re

“A lot of atrocities/human rights violations were committed by the previous DSS leadership that are still being resolved daily. I have had to get involved in such cases where compensation were given to victims and I must commend the DSS under DG Tosin. We must collectively end impunity and injustice in our country”