The management of Abuja-based travel and immigration consultancy firm, SMT Limited, has raised alarm over what it describes as the unlawful arrest and continued detention of one of its staff members, Mr. Dan Wesley, allegedly by armed military personnel attached to the Guards Brigade, Mambilla Barracks, Abuja. The company has called for urgent intervention by relevant authorities, warning that the incident represents a dangerous abuse of power and a threat to civil liberties.
According to information gathered, Wesley was reportedly taken away at gunpoint following a dispute linked to a Canada work visa application handled by the company. SMT Limited expressed deep concern over the circumstances surrounding the arrest, which it said had no legal basis and was carried out without any formal complaint, warrant, or recourse to civil law enforcement agencies.
The incident is said to have originated from a visa application process involving a prospective client, Mrs. Bridget Ladi, who was introduced to SMT Limited by an agent identified as Mr. Leo. The agency reportedly engaged the client in line with its standard operating procedures for work visa applications, including liaising with a prospective Canadian employer.
Sources within the company explained that, as part of the process, an interview was conducted between Mrs. Ladi and the prospective employer abroad. However, following the interview stage, the employer allegedly declined to proceed with the engagement, effectively halting the visa process. The development, according to SMT Limited, was beyond the control of the company and consistent with the realities of international recruitment processes, where final discretion rests with the employer.
Following the employer’s decision, the company said it expected the matter to follow its established post-application procedures, including refund protocols where applicable. However, events reportedly took a disturbing turn when the agent who introduced the client allegedly began making appearances at the company’s office under intimidating circumstances.
Management of SMT Limited alleged that Mr. Leo visited its office located on King Jaja Street, Gwarimpa, Abuja, on two separate occasions, each time accompanied by armed military personnel. The armed men were said to have arrived in a military police van allegedly belonging to the Guards Brigade, Mambilla Barracks, and were reportedly led by a warrant officer identified as W.O. Abubakar.
The company described the visits as acts of intimidation rather than legitimate attempts to resolve a civil dispute. Staff members were said to have been alarmed by the presence of armed soldiers in a purely commercial disagreement, particularly one involving a visa application and refund process.
According to SMT Limited, on January 20, 2026, the company formally advised Mr. Leo to submit a written request for a refund on behalf of the client, in line with its established refund policy. The policy, the company said, clearly stipulates a processing period of up to 60 days, a timeframe communicated to all clients at the outset of transactions.
Management alleged that this standard procedure was rejected outright by the agent, who instead allegedly escalated the matter by mobilising armed military personnel. This escalation, the company said, culminated in the arrest of Mr. Dan Wesley, an administrative staff member with no personal involvement in the disputed transaction.
SMT Limited claimed that Wesley was taken into custody at gunpoint in a manner it described as traumatic and degrading. The company further alleged that he was subjected to maltreatment during the arrest and subsequently whisked away to the Guards Brigade facility at Mambilla Barracks, Abuja.
Since his arrest, the company said Wesley has been held incommunicado, with no access to his family, legal counsel, or colleagues. Management described the continued detention as unlawful and in violation of constitutional provisions guaranteeing personal liberty, due process, and freedom from arbitrary arrest.
Adding to its concern, the company alleged that it was informed, informally, that Wesley’s detention was carried out on instructions “from above,” a claim SMT Limited described as vague, disturbing, and suggestive of high-level interference in a matter that should ordinarily be treated as a civil dispute.
The company strongly condemned what it termed harassment, intimidation, and a gross abuse of military authority. It stressed that the Nigerian military is constitutionally mandated to defend the nation against external aggression and maintain territorial integrity, not to intervene in commercial disagreements or debt-related disputes.
SMT Limited insisted that all its dealings with Mrs. Ladi and the agent were conducted professionally, transparently, and in strict compliance with internal procedures and industry standards. The company maintained that no fraud, misrepresentation, or criminal conduct occurred at any stage of the visa application process.
A source familiar with the case disclosed that several attempts have been made by the company and concerned individuals to secure Wesley’s release, but all efforts have so far proved unsuccessful. The source described the situation as increasingly worrying, noting that the prolonged detention without charge or formal investigation raises serious legal and human rights concerns.
Legal observers say the alleged involvement of military personnel in a civil matter, particularly the arrest and detention of a civilian employee of a private company, raises fundamental questions about the misuse of state power and the erosion of the rule of law. They note that disputes arising from contracts or service delivery are typically resolved through dialogue, mediation, or civil litigation—not armed intervention.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain an official response from the Nigerian Army proved unsuccessful. Calls placed to the mobile phone of the Army’s spokesperson, Colonel Appolonia Anele, were not answered, and messages sent to her remained unanswered.
SMT Limited has appealed to the Chief of Army Staff, the Minister of Defence, the National Human Rights Commission, and other relevant oversight bodies to urgently intervene in the matter. The company warned that failure to address the situation could set a dangerous precedent, emboldening the use of military force in private commercial disputes.
For now, the company says its priority remains the safety and immediate release of its detained staff member. “No Nigerian should be subjected to arrest at gunpoint and indefinite detention over a civil dispute,” a company representative said. “This is not just about our staff; it is about the protection of citizens and the sanctity of the rule of law.”
