The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned a retired officer, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, before a federal high court in Abuja over alleged membership of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and activities supporting the group. The arraignment took place on Thursday, August 6, before trial judge Mohammed Garba Umar, with the director of public prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, filing a four-count charge against Ezeakolam.
Details of the Charges
The charge sheet accuses Ezeakolam of joining IPOB in 2025, knowing the group had been banned, and of using social media platforms to spread content designed to win public sympathy for the organisation. The alleged conduct spans both Abuja and Abia state, covering activity that occurred in 2025 and 2026.
One count reads: "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 organisation, 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."
A separate count charges him with knowingly aiding and abetting 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," in violation of Section 26 of the same legislation. The federal government designated IPOB a terrorist organisation in 2017.
Court Proceedings and Remand
When the charges were read out in court, Ezeakolam entered a plea of not guilty to all four counts. Memunat Oladunjoye, counsel to the DSS, asked the court to set a date for trial to begin. The defendant's lawyer, Godfirst Madu, separately sought time to file a bail application. Judge Umar told the defence that the bail application could be submitted at any point.
The judge fixed Thursday, October 29, 2026, for the commencement of trial and ordered that Ezeakolam be held at Kuje prison until his bail is determined. A video of Ezeakolam has emerged on social media, showing the retired officer during the court proceedings.
Context and Reactions
IPOB is a controversial separatist group led by Nnamdi Kanu, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently serving his sentence in Sokoto state. The group has been linked to various violent activities in the south-east, including attacks on security personnel and government installations.
In related news, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu said residents of his state have discontinued observance of the controversial sit-at-home exercise of IPOB. Mbah spoke during President Bola Tinubu's visit to Enugu, to unveil key government projects executed by the former's administration.
The DSS has intensified operations against IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in recent months. In a separate incident, the Nigerian army reported busting an IPOB hideout, taking down 13 members, and arresting notorious kidnappers. The army also lost two soldiers to ESN fighters, with weapons recovered during the clashes.
The arraignment of a retired DSS officer highlights the reach of the security agency's investigations into alleged IPOB sympathisers within its own ranks. The case is expected to draw significant attention as it progresses, with the trial set to begin in October.
