WorldStage— The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned one of its retired officers, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, for allegedly associating with the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed terrorist group by Nigerian government.
Ezeakolam was put on trial on Thursday, August 6, 2026, before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar at the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Abuja.
The secret police filed a 4-count charge against the former operative, bordering on terrorism, actively participating in a banned group, and undermining national security.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution counsel stated that Ezeakolam used his insider knowledge and security background to provide strategic support to IPOB.
The federal government had designated IPOB as a terrorist organization, making any form of association or membership a severe criminal offence under Nigerian law.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to all four charges read out to him in the courtroom.
Following the plea, the defense counsel requested the court to grant the retired officer bail, arguing that he remains a senior citizen with no prior criminal record.
The prosecution strongly opposed the bail application, citing the gravity of the offenses and the potential risk to national intelligence structures.
Justice Umar subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded in custody pending the determination of the bail application.
The trial judge adjourned the case to a later date for the commencement of full trial and hearing on the bail arguments.
This unusual arraignment highlights the widening crackdown by Nigerian security agencies against internal sabotage and unauthorized alignments with separatist movements.
Legal experts say the case will test the inner workings of the Terrorism Prevention Act regarding compromised security personnel.
