by Akan Ido

Call for the release of a citizen reporter, Yusuf Siyaka Onimisi, who live-tweeted events following the attempted jailbreak of Boko Haram suspects from the Department of Security Service (DSS) in Abuja on March 30 have continued to get louder.

Several high profile individuals including Oby Ezekwesili, the former Vice President for Africa of the World Bank; Nasir el-Rufai, former FCT minister; Rights Group, Amnesty International and others have called for Onimisi’s unconditional release.

The whereabouts of the 32-year-old man (with Twitter handle @ciaxon) who is believed to be a PHCN staff is unknown with several people on the social media network, Twitter, speculating that he may have been detained by the Presidential Guards, State Security Service or other government security agencies.

Weighing in on the reported arrest and detention, Ezekwwesili said, “Tweeps that have cognitive deduction skills must know that insisting on Justice for @ciaxon is also a defense of their own right to Tweet.

“@ciaxon tweets of pictures he took close to the scene of DSS attack may raise Intelligence questions but Agency should do so transparently,” she tweeted.

She urged the DSS to informed Onimisi’s family if truly there are security red flags raised by his actions.

She said, “If indeed there are legitimate Intelligence questions resulting from @ciaxon ‘s tweets of that day, DSS should convey to family/public.”

Former-FCT Minister, Nasir el-Rufai stated his position on Facebook saying “The SSS must produce Yusuf Siyaka Onimisi alive and charge him to court disclosing an offence.”

According to Netsanet Belay, Research and Advocacy Director for Africa at Amnesty International, Nigerian security agencies should release the detained individual immediately or charge him to court if he has committed any offence.

“Nigerian security forces should immediately disclose the whereabouts and legal status of Yusuf Siyaka Onimisi. If he is in detention, the Nigerian authorities must either charge him with a recognizable criminal offence or release him immediately.”

With the noise getting louder over the detention of Onimisi, there are reports that plans are underway to organise a protest in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria to demand the release of the detained man who was until his arrest working as a qualified electrical engineer in Abuja.