DSS arrests content creator over video on killings in Enugu

Evangelist Ebube Joseph, a Nigerian content creator, has been arrested and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS), reportedly on the orders of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, over his commentary on the ongoing killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the state.

According to reports, Joseph was first arrested and held in an underground DSS cell for 10 days before being granted bail despite his health condition. Shortly after his release, he was invited back to Enugu, rearrested, and allegedly charged in secret without access to legal representation or family notification.

Fellow content creator, David (popularly known as MC Dave), revealed the development to SaharaReporters, stating that Joseph is being accused of defaming the governor.

In a video posted on Facebook, Joseph detailed his ordeal, saying he was arrested around 2 a.m. by DSS officers who arrived with four vehicles, blindfolded and handcuffed him.

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“They carried me, covered my eyes, and handcuffed my hands behind my back for committing no crime, only that I spoke about the killings by Fulani herdsmen across Nigeria and in Enugu State in particular,” he said.

Joseph maintained that his only “crime” was using his platform to speak for voiceless victims of violence. “I didn’t do anything bad. My only crime is that I made a video online concerning what is happening in Nigeria generally,” he said.

The arrest has sparked renewed concerns about press freedom and the safety of content creators in Nigeria. SaharaReporters had previously documented that at least 163 people were killed by suspected herdsmen in Eha-Amufu border communities with Benue between 2021 and June 16, 2025. In just the past two weeks, at least 16 more people were killed in renewed attacks in Mgbuji and Agu-Amede, Eha-Amufu, in Isi-Uzo LGA.