A retired officer of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, is set to be arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, August 6, over alleged terrorism-related offences linked to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Ezeakolam, who is currently in the custody of the DSS, will be docked before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar on a four-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Iseoluwa Oyedepo, SAN.
According to the charge sheet, the former DSS operative allegedly rendered support and material assistance to IPOB by disseminating information about the group through the internet and social media platforms, an offence said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 13 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
He is also accused of knowingly joining the proscribed organisation, contrary to Section 25 of the same Act.
The prosecution further alleged that Ezeakolam used his social media accounts to publish messages intended to encourage members of the public to support IPOB, an offence punishable under Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In addition, he is accused of posting online content aimed at advancing the activities of the group, contrary to Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended).
One of the charges reads: “That you, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, adult, male, sometime in 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 the 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 the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Another count alleged that the defendant knowingly became a member of IPOB despite the organisation’s proscription.
The prosecution also accused him of posting messages on social media designed to induce unsuspecting members of the public to support IPOB and of publishing content intended to advance the group’s cause.
Justice Umar is expected to take the defendant’s plea when the case comes up for arraignment on Thursday.
