By Daniella Haruna

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, a retired officer, over allegations of membership of proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

Ezeakolam was arraigned on Thursday at the federal high court in Abuja on a four-count charge.

The retired officer was arraigned before Mohammed Garba Umar, the trial judge, on charges filed by Rotimi Oyedepo, director of public prosecutions.

According to the charge sheet, the DSS accused
Ezeakolam of publishing messages via social media meant to induce unsuspecting members of the public to support IPOB.

The secret police alleged that sometime in 2025, Ezeakolam joined IPOB, despite knowing that the group is a proscribed organisation.

‘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,” the charge sheet reads.

“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.

“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 organization, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The federal government proscribed IPOB as a terrorist group in 2017.

After the charges were read, the defendant pleaded not guilty.

During the court proceedings, Memunat Oladunjoye, counsel to the DSS, asked for a date for commencement of trial.

However, Godfirst Madu, counsel to the defendant, applied for a date to file a bail application

The trial judge informed the defendant’s counsel that the bail application can be filed at any time.

Umar fixed October 29 for commencement of trial and ordered that the retired officer be remanded at Kuje prison pending his bail.

Source: TheCable