Court remands retired DSS officer over IPOB support, cybercrime

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The Department of State Services on Thursday arraigned one of its retired officers, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a four-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism-related offences and cybercrime.

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The prosecution told the court, presided over by Justice Muhammed Umar, that Ezeakolam’s alleged actions contravened Sections 13, 25 and 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

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After the charges were read, the defendant pleaded “not guilty” to all four counts.

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Following his plea, counsel for the DSS requested that the matter be fixed for trial and urged the court to remand the defendant pending the determination of the case.

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Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until October 29 for the commencement of trial and ordered that Ezeakolam be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

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Count Ooe read, “That you, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, adult, male, sometime 2025 and 2026, at Abuja and Abia State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did directly and indirectly render support by providing moral assistance and disseminating terrorist information of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB, a proscribed organization, through the internet and your social media platforms, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 13 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

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Count Two read, “That you, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, adult, male, sometime 2025 and 2026, in Abia State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did join Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed organization, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

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Count Three stated, “That you, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, adult, male, sometime 2025 and 2026, at Abuja and Abia State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did knowingly directly and indirectly aid and abet the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by posting on social media platforms messages calculated to induce unsuspecting members of the public to support Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed organisation, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

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Count Four read, That you, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, adult, male, sometime 2025 and 2026, at Abuja and Abia State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, on social media platforms did post and cause to be accessed, messages aimed at advancing the cause o Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed organization and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of Cybercrimes (Prevention, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015, as amended.”

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You may also want to add a brief background explaining that IPOB was proscribed by the Federal Government in 2017 and has since been designated a terrorist organisation by a court, if that context is relevant to your audience.

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The Indigenous People of Biafra, led by Nnamdi Kanu, was proscribed by the Federal Government in September 2017 after the Federal High Court in Abuja declared it an unlawful organisation.

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The government subsequently designated the group a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism (Prevention) Act.

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IPOB has consistently rejected the designation, maintaining that it is a non-violent movement advocating for the self-determination of the South-East region.

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Since the proscription, Nigerian security agencies have continued to arrest and prosecute individuals accused of supporting or promoting the activities of the group under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and other relevant laws.

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