By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—SEQUEL to allegations that the Department of State Services, DSS, is holding the President of Nigerian Youth Council, Mr. Ugochinyere Michael, without any charges filed against him, the House of Representatives yesterday directed DSS to either charge him to court or release him immediately.

Ugochinyere

The House asked DSS to make public the offences allegedly committed by the embattled youth leader, following a motion under matters of urgent public importance brought before it by Goodluck Opiah, PDP, Imo.

The lawmaker expressed worries that the arrest was alleged to be because of a view he (Ugochinyere) expressed in a television interview on the trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

He said: “The House is worried that he has been harassed and intimidated for supporting the Senate President and taking the Minister of Youth and Sport to court in protection of his office as President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria.

“Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees the freedom of opinion of all Nigerians, including Mr. Ugochinyere Michael.

“Section 35 further guarantees the right to personal liberty of Mr. Ugochinyere and we are worried that he has been held for more than 48 hours by the men of the DSS.”