Rilwan Olawale is missing. The Nigeria Democratic Congress mobiliser was reportedly taken from his Lagos residence at about 1am on Sunday, 25 October 2026. Armed men in Department of State Services uniforms carried
out the operation. His mother was present. She was distressed. Supporters say he was campaigning with NDC flags. They are demanding his release under the hashtag #FreeRilwanNow. Neither the DSS nor the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest. No charges have been disclosed.
Arrests of opposition supporters have marked recent election cycles. In 2022, Peter Obi’s supporters were allegedly detained by security operatives. The Presidency denied the claims. The DSS has repeatedly said it does not arrest people for political activity. The pattern persists because enforcement is opaque and accountability is weak. The 2027 election is approaching. Opposition parties are mobilising. The NDC has faced attacks in Enugu and Edo. The arrest of a Lagos mobiliser fits that pattern.
The operation occurred in the early hours of Sunday. Olawale was taken from his home. Supporters described a raid by armed men in DSS uniforms. They said no warrant was shown. They said no reason was given. His whereabouts remain unknown. The DSS has not issued a statement. The police have not commented. The family has not spoken publicly. Legal representatives have not filed a case.
Olawale is known online as @richone090. He is a Peter Obi supporter. He campaigns for the NDC. A video circulating online shows him addressing people on a commercial street. He speaks about fuel scarcity and hardship. The video does not show the alleged raid. The claims remain unverified. But the pattern is familiar. A critic is taken. No one explains why. Supporters are left to demand answers.
The NDC has not issued a formal statement. Its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has not commented. The party is still building its campaign structure. Its national campaign council launch was postponed. The arrest adds to the party’s difficulties. It also adds to public anger.
Winners: The DSS, if the arrest was lawful. The APC, if intimidation suppresses opposition mobilisation. No one else. Losers: Olawale, who is missing. His family, who do not know his whereabouts. The NDC, which loses a mobiliser. Opposition supporters, who face a climate of fear. The DSS, whose silence erodes trust. The police, whose authority is bypassed. Nigeria’s democracy, which suffers another blow.
Bottom Line: A mobiliser was taken at 1am. No charges. No statement. The DSS must disclose his whereabouts or release him. The 2027 election is already violent. Silence is not an answer.