Some operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), Nigeria’s secret service agency, have arrived at the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP) looking to arrest its directors.

This comes a day after SERAP urged President Bola Tinubu to “direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to immediately reverse the apparently illegal and unconstitutional increase in the pump price” of petrol.

SERAP is a renowned civil society organisation dedicated to public accountability and democratic freedoms.

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“BREAKING: Officers from Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors,” SERAP posted on its social media accounts on Monday.

“President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation and attack on the rights of Nigerians.”

This situation adds to the increasing threat against civic rights under Tinubu’s government.

Amnesty International Nigeria responded to the DSS’ move by cautioning that Tinubu “is going too far” suppressing dissenting voices since his assumption of power.

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“Amnesty International received disturbing report of the unlawful invasion of the Abuja office of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by operatives of DSS,” Amnesty International Nigeria wrote on X, adding that “President Bola Tinubu is going too far in his government’s repressive efforts to gag dissenting voices”.

Tinubu’s government has overseen state-backed arrests and harassment of journalists, whistleblowers and civic rights activists alike.

The siege on SERAP’s office coincides with NLC President Joe Ajaero’s arrest at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja. The DSS detained Ajaero who was on his way to the United Kingdom on Monday.

Nigeria’s police abducted FIJ’s Daniel Ojukwu in May. The Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC) kept Ojukwu in custody for nine days over a report report on malfeasance in government.

The NPF-NCCC also invited Fisayo Soyombo, FIJ’s founder, for questioning over the same story in August.