₦airaland Forum

Some prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) kidnapped on Independence Day in Imo State, on Tuesday, identified certain suspects standing trial for kidnapping and illegal arms possession, as those who kidnapped them.

The identification occurred at the resumed trial of five persons accused of the Independence Day kidnap of 20 prospective NYSC members in the high court of the state sitting in Owerri, the state capital.

The Court granted the application of the prosecution that the Corp members be masked and their identities concealed for security reasons.

The Corp members, who identified themselves before the Court as Miss A and Miss B, respectively, identified the defendants as persons they saw on the 1st day of October, 2026, who took them hostage and stayed with them in the bush while armed.

In a similar proceeding over conspiracy, kidnapping/hostage taking and unlawful possession of arms, the witnesses also identified the defendants as persons who took them hostage in the state.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Emeka Orafu, in admitting the statements of the witnesses, ruled that the documents are relevant and admissible in evidence for determination of the matter. The prosecution informed the court that, with the evidence of the Corp members, the prosecution has concluded its case. It announced the close of his case.

At the conclusion of proceedings, the trial judge thanked the counsels for diligence. He ordered that the DSS allow unrestrained access as allowed by law for defence counsel to prepare their defence. The Court adjourned both matters to the 5th and 6th November for continuation and for the suspects to open their defence.

*Trial resumes November 3

The ongoing trial of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, before a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged cyberbullying was stalled on Thursday owing to his absence and a letter he wrote praying for an adjournment.

At the mention of the case, prosecuting lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), noted that the defendant was absent in court.

Defence lawyer, T. O. Etonyeaku, who said she was holding the brief of Sowore's lead counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), told the court that the politician was in Ekiti State for his presidential campaigns.

Etonyeaku prayed the court for a stand-down to enable another senior lawyer, who was earlier in court before the commencement of proceedings, arrive and conduct the case of the defence.

The judge, Justice Mohammed Umar drew the attention of both lawyers to a letter written the court by the defendant. The judge asked Kehinde if he was aware of the letter.

The prosecution lawyer denied being copied the letter. He argued that it was wrong for an accused person, who was being represented by a lawyer, to bypass the lawyer and write directly to the court and also fail copy the other party.

He added that since there is no evidence that Sowore has discontinued with the service of his lawyer, Olumide-Fusika, he ought not to have written personally to the court.

Kehinde however, conceded to an adjournment in the interest of justice.

The prosecuting lawyer noted that the defence was yet to respond to the written address he filed, as ordered by the court, on the issue of whether or not he could be subpoenaed to testify as a defence witness.

Justice Umar adjourned till November 3 for adoption and continuation of defence.

Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over his August 2025 published posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, describing President Tinubu as a "criminal" and accusing him of lying about the level of corruption in the country.

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, warned the defence lawyers against delay in the trial of four suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who allegedly kidnapped and killed Ekpeyong Asuquo Owoh, a staff member of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the warning after two lawyers, Kelvin Ekwe and Geoffrey Owadiego, who appeared for the defendants, sought an application for adjournment.

The defendants are Michael Okafor, a.k.a. Onyechimeleze; Chinedu Chukwudozie, alias Kante; Chibunna Olisa; and Chigozie Olisa, a.k.a. Ability.

They were arraigned before Justice Abdulmalik on Sept. 28 on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism and kidnapping.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired to commit acts of terrorism and were involved in the abduction of Owoh, while he was travelling from Port Harcourt in Rivers to Awka in Anambra.

They were further accused of taking the operative hostage and killing him.

The suspects were also accused of belonging to the proscribed IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), as well as involvement in activities allegedly linked to terrorism.

In addition, the prosecution alleged that the suspects were involved in the unlawful possession of firearms, including an AK-47 rifle and pump-action gun, in connection with the alleged offences.

The charges followed investigations into the circumstances surrounding the abduction and killing of the officer and the alleged activities of the defendants.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts, and the judge adjourned for trial.

When the case was called on Wednesday, Munirat Oladunjoye, who represented the prosecution, informed the court that the matter was fixed for trial following the defendants' denial of the allegations.

She told the court that the prosecution applied to shield the identity of their witnesses pursuant to Section 232(3)(b) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

Oladunjoye, therefore, prayed the court for an order granting the permission to mask their witnesses and conceal their names.

But the lawyer to the 1st and 2nd defendants, Kelvin Ekwe, disagreed with Oladunjoye's oral application.

He argued that such an application was uncalled for.

Ekwe submitted that there is no evidence that if the witnesses are not masked, it will prejudice the prosecution's case.

Besides, he argued, the application should be formally filed for them to respond appropriately and to guard against ambush.

Justice Abdulmalik then asked Ekwe to cite any law to back his argument that the prosecution must file a formal application to make such a request.

Responding, the lawyer said he relied on Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.

Oladunjoye also countered Ekwe's submission.

In a short ruling, the judge agreed with the DSS lawyer's submission.

Justice Abdulmalik held that in light of the case being a terrorism matter, it would not serve the interest of justice to expose the identity of the witnesses in the case.

The judge, who directed the trial to commence and the witness to be code-named as "AB", ordered that anyone who runs foul of Section 232(5) of ACJA will be liable to a one-year jail term.

However, Geoffrey Uwadiegwu, counsel to the 3rd and 4th defendants, informed the court that he was only coming into the matter for the first and that he would need more time to study the case file.

Ekwe also told the court that he was just served with the video evidence by the prosecution, insisting that he was not ready to go on with the trial.

The prosecution lawyer responded that though Ekwe was just being served with the video evidence, the video clip would not be used in the day's trial.

She prayed the court to allow the matter to proceed.

Besides, Oladunjoye argued that Ekwe's absence on October 6 caused an adjournment.

Dissatisfied, Ekwe and Uwadiegwu stood up simultaneously to address the court on why the matter must be adjourned. This prompted the judge to caution them against unruly behaviour in her court.

"I run my court in line with international best practice, and that is why people say I am strict.

"So, when I run my court, there should be 99.9 per cent compliant according to international best practice," she said.

Justice Abdulmalik said she wouldn't have listed the case for hearing because there were many pre-election cases in the docket of the court.

She added that she had at least nine judgements to write in respect of pre-election matters which must be delivered before Nov. 9.

The judge, however, said that she saw the case as very crucial and that it should be determined expeditiously.

Having listened to the parties, Justice Abdulmalik agreed to give a short adjournment.

She, however, warned against any act that could delay the trial.

The judge consequently adjourned the matter until Oct. 28 at the instance of the two defence lawyers.

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2027 general election, Omoyele Sowore, on Monday, lost his bid to compel the Director General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, to personally appear in court as a witness in his trial for allegedly cyberbullying President Bola Tinubu.

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed the politician's application while delivering a ruling.

Monday's ruling was the fourth loss Sowore would suffer since the DSS approached the court to determine the propriety or otherwise of his calling President Tinubu "a criminal".

The court had dismissed his application that the trial breached his fundamental human rights and also dismissed his preliminary objection to the matter. On the third occasion, the Chief Judge rejected Sowore's bid for the recusal of the trial judge.

At the resumption of proceedings, Justice Umar delivered a ruling on the arguments for and against the subpoena issued to the DSS Director General at Sowore's request.

Through his lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide Fusika, SAN, Sowore had sought an order of the court to compel the DG’s appearance to testify on official activities of the DSS relating to the cyberbullying case instituted against him.

However, the DSS represented by Akinlolu Thomas Kehinde, SAN, had opposed the move, arguing that another official of the agency could testify on his behalf.

The senior lawyer argued that it was absurd for Sowore to be insisting on the DSS DG's appearance in court in an action that was purely official and not personal.

He argued that since the action of the DSS in putting Sowore on trial, any official delegated by the organization can testify for the establishment.

In his ruling, Justice Umar held that the subpoena concerned an official act of the DSS and that the expected testimony was not personal to the Director-General.

The court consequently ruled that another DSS official could appear to give evidence on the agency’s behalf.

Following the ruling, defence counsel Olumide Fusika SAN called the third defence witness, Michael Jego, an investigating officer with the DSS, who is currently being led in evidence.

A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by a former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, seeking to stop the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies from freezing his bank accounts or seizing his assets.

The presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, dismissed the suit, saying it is an abuse of the court process.

El-Rufai had sued the ICPC, DSS, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as first to fourth respondents, respectively.

The judge agreed with the respondents that el-Rufai had instituted similar suits before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court and the Federal High Court.

She also held that a court could not be used to prevent law enforcement agencies from carrying out their statutory duties.

Abdulmalik described el-Rufai’s suit as speculative and lacking in merit.

The judge further held that the suit disclosed no reasonable cause of action against the EFCC, DSS and AGF and consequently struck out their names as respondents.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/368/2026, was filed on February 24 by Oluwole Iyamu, SAN.

The embattled former had asked the court to restrain the respondents from taking steps to freeze his bank accounts or seize his assets pending the determination of the substantive suit.

He also sought an interim injunction directing the respondents to maintain the status quo to prevent a fait accompli (an irreversible action).

The former governor argued that his severance pay received after his tenure between 2015 and 2023 could not reasonably be suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.

He also asked the court to declare that properties purchased with the severance pay were lawfully acquired and owned by him.

He also sought a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from freezing, attaching, seizing, forfeiting or otherwise interfering with his properties and bank accounts.

He demanded N1 billion in general, exemplary and aggravated damages, citing the anticipated violation of his fundamental rights, psychological trauma, distress, anxiety and reputational harm allegedly arising from the threat of unlawful forfeiture proceedings.

He further sought N100 million as costs of the action, including legal fees and associated expenses.

Source: The cable news

An intelligence-led operation by a combined team of troops of the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS) personnel, and Western Nigeria Security Network, aka Amotekun officers, at the weekend in Owo forest, Ondo State, eliminated a senior leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abdussamad Ohida.

Security sources said Ohida, aka Anwar, who was on the verge of planning massive terrorist attacks in some southern states, was killed alongside many members of the terrorist organisation by the security forces, who led a surprise attack on their forest hideout.

According to the sources, the eliminated ISWAP leader previously served as deputy to ISWAP Central Nigeria leader Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais. Ikrimah was arrested by the DSS in 2023.

Following Ikrimah's arrest, continued the sources, Ohida assumed leadership of ISWAP activities across parts of North central and southern parts of the country, where he subsequently played a key role in the planning, coordination and execution of terrorist operations.

Through the interrogation of Abu Uwais, continued the sources, the DSS was able to gather credible intelligence on plans by Ohida to
attack innocent persons during the forthcoming Yuletide.
"The plan was to attack civilians during the festive period and ultimately disrupt the 2027 general elections. This intelligence was corroborated by intelligence partners from the United Kingdom, who supported the elimination operation," offered one of the sources.

He said Ohida planned and executed the 31st December 2025 invasion of Ipele Divisional Police Station, Owo, Ondo State, carting away right AK-47 rifles before bringing down the station with an explosive. He mentioned the 28 July 2022 Suleja–Zuba Road, Niger State, military checkpoint attack in which several soldiers, officers and civilians were killed.

He also blamed on Ohida the July 11, 2022, attack on Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja; the 23rd April, 2022, attack on Ogaminana Police Station, Adavi LGA, Kogi State, which resulted in the death of five police officers; and the February 7, 2022, attack on Okene Area Command police station.

"The terrorist planned and executed the 24th December, 2020, attack on a Naval checkpoint in Okene, Kogi State, which resulted in the death of two naval officers, not to mention the several attacks he launched across parts of the country," he added.
"We may not immediately realise it, but the elimination of Abdussamad Ohida represents a significant disruption to ISWAP’s leadership structure, operational network and expansion efforts in central and southern Nigeria.

"Ohida's elimination, coming a few months after the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bilal al-Minuki, is a very big blow to ISWAP’s efforts to expand its operational presence in Nigeria and underscores the growing efficiency of our security services," he declared.

Source: CHANNELS

By Hassan Taiye

A legal practitioner and human rights advocate, Hamza D. Dantani, Esq., has called on security agencies across the country to emulate the Department of State Services (DSS) by compensating innocent Nigerians who are wrongly arrested, unlawfully detained or harmed during security operations.

Dantani made the call while commending the Director-General of the DSS, Mr Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, for what he described as a bold and unprecedented decision to compensate victims of wrongful arrests and operational errors.

He said the initiative demonstrated that while security agencies have a constitutional responsibility to safeguard the country, they also have a moral and legal obligation to acknowledge mistakes and provide remedies to innocent citizens whose rights have been violated.

According to him, the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes should not come at the expense of justice and respect for fundamental human rights.

He said the DSS initiative had shown that institutions could admit and correct their mistakes without compromising operational effectiveness, adding that such accountability would strengthen public confidence and reinforce the principle that no authority is above the law.

Dantani cited some of the publicly known beneficiaries of the compensation initiative to include Nura Idris, a Kaduna-based farmer and herder who received ₦3 million after he was wrongly linked to Boko Haram; Umar Ibrahim, Alhaji Bello Rabiu and Jaja Sarki Bamo, who shared a compensation package after they were mistakenly arrested over allegations of banditry and kidnapping; and Chineze Ozoadibe, an Abuja-based businesswoman, who was awarded ₦10 million following her wrongful arrest over allegations of oil bunkering.

He also listed a Sokoto-based trader who was mistakenly shot during a 2016 security operation in Jos and later received ₦20 million, comprising court-awarded damages and an additional goodwill payment, alongside lifetime healthcare, as well as 11 artisans from Osun State who were cleared of terrorism-related allegations and compensated.

He noted that these were only a few publicly known cases, stressing that many other innocent Nigerians might have suffered similar experiences without receiving public attention.

Dantani said wrongful arrest and unlawful detention often result in the loss of liberty, employment, businesses, reputation and peace of mind, while families also suffer emotional and financial hardship.

Although monetary compensation cannot fully restore lost time or erase emotional trauma, he said it remains an important acknowledgement of injustice and the state’s willingness to accept responsibility.

He urged the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other law enforcement agencies to adopt similar measures whenever investigations establish that innocent citizens have been wrongly arrested, unlawfully detained or injured during official operations.

He also called on security agencies to strengthen their operational procedures by ensuring that arrests are based on credible intelligence and verified evidence, improving identity verification, investing in technology and forensic investigations, enhancing inter-agency intelligence sharing, and providing regular human rights training for personnel.

Dantani further advocated strict compliance with constitutional safeguards, independent internal review mechanisms to investigate complaints of wrongful arrest and unlawful detention, and accountability for officers found culpable of negligence or abuse of power.

He said arrest should never be treated as punishment, while detention should never replace proper investigation.

Commending the DSS Director-General for what he described as exemplary leadership, Dantani expressed hope that the initiative would usher in a new era in which all security agencies would embrace accountability, uphold constitutional rights and ensure that innocent citizens affected by operational errors receive justice and appropriate compensation.

He added that the true measure of a nation’s justice system lies not only in its ability to punish offenders but also in its willingness to protect the innocent and correct its mistakes whenever they occur.

Few days after the intelligence -led rescue of pupils and teachers kidnapped by bandits in Oriire, Oyo State, another security team comprising operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and forest guards, on Thursday, rescued two kidnapped children in Kwara Stare.

Rescued in a forest between Oba Isin/Owa Onire in Isin and Ifelodun Local Government Areas of the state, was 16-year-old Fatima Azeez and her five-year-old brother, Ibrahim.
According to state government sources, the security team eliminated two armed bandits while others escaped with severe injuries as more rescue operations were reportedly ongoing.

Recovered from the kidnappers were several items which included one AK-47 rifle; a single barrel gun, and one fully-loaded magazine
Also recovered were nine empty magazines, mini-solar charger, and food items.

Thursday's rescue operation is connected to the multi-agency counter-terrorism and anti-kidnapping efforts of the government, the source declared .

Source: TVC

This man that us always seeking attention. With that his tiny cricket voice, claiming to know the economic solutions to every problems can't even provide advise for his own state.
Boom, another threat to life allegations!!? Are you the only frustrated lost presidential candidate?

*Opens defence


The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday ordered that online publisher and presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, be taken back to the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, if he fails to meet the bail conditions granted him last Tuesday by 4 p.m. today.

Last week, Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling on Sowore's application for stay of execution of the order for his bail revocation, admitted him to a N200 million bail bond. In addition, the judge ordered the politician to deposit his international passport, and produce two sureties, one must be a traditional ruler from his community.

Justice Umar held that the other surety must have a landed property in Abuja, and that the sureties must be verified by the prosecution, ordered Sowore to also deposit his international passport with deputy chief registrar of the court.

‎At the resumption of the defamation charges slammed on him by the Department of the State Service (DSS) for allegedly calling President Tinubu a criminal in his X and Facebook handles, counsel to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde SAN told the court that the defendant was yet to fulfill the bail conditions.
‎
‎The senior lawyer consequently applied to the court to Issue an order remanding Sowore at Kuje Correctional Centre. The lawyer noted that, while the court graciously granted Sowore several days to perfect his bail conditions, the politician rather chose to use the period to grant television interviews.
‎
‎Kehinde SAN argued that the orders of court are meant to be obeyed, adding that since Sowore had not obeyed the court order by perfecting the bail conditions, the consequence is for his remand until the conditions are fully met.

According to the DSS lawyer, up till Monday, the defendant had not informed him of any challenge in meeting the bail conditions or filing any application for the variation of the bail conditions. "The defendant was released to his lawyer to go and bring his passport to be deposited with the court. That has not been communicated to us, and other conditions of the bail have not been met. The law is trite, no sentiment," Kehinde told the court, stressing, "our application is that the defendant be remanded at the Correctional Center until the bai conditions are met."
‎
‎However, following pleas by Sowore's lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide- Fusika, SAN, Justice Umar granted until the close of work on Monday to meet the conditions, failing which Sowore returns to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
‎
Fusika then assured the court that the passport will be deposited in court before the close of work on Monday. He blamed the of the passport recovery from the American Embassy in Lagos on the fact of the celebration of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations.

‎The judge adjourned the matter to Monday 13th July.

Just In..

After Owo, Katsina Death Sentences, Kogi Court Imposes Maximum Penalty on Man Arrested by DSS for Kidnap and Murder of Neighbor

Barely 24 hours after a Katsina State High Court sentenced to death a female arms courier arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS), a High Court of Kogi State has also imposed the death penalty on a man the DSS successfully prosecuted for kidnapping and murdering his neighbour, who ran a hotel in Obajana.

The Katsina and Kogi sentences came less than two weeks after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, imposed the death penalty on four men arrested by the DSS for their role in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The Kogi Court, presided by Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu, on Tuesday found Jibrin Halilu guilty on the charges of conspiracy and kidnapping, in contravention of Sections 12, 6 (1), and 4 (3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023. The court subsequently sentenced Halilu to death.

According to the prosecution, on March 23, 2023, Halilu and other members of his armed gang stormed Ever Ready hotel, Angwa-Tiv, in Obajana town,
abducting the proprietor, Uche Andrew Offo. Even though Offo's family handed his abductors the N2.5 million ransom they demanded, they, nonetheless, killed him. The DSS prosecutor told the court that operatives of the Service arrested Halilu on December 4, 2025.

"DSS investigations revealed that, while with his abductors, Offo was able to identify Halilu, who happened to be his neighbour, as being part of those who kidnapped him. That was when Halilu, despite the N2.5 million ransom he collected from Offo's family, still killed him.

"Further investigations by the DSS also linked Halilu and his gang to the April 2, 2023 kidnapping of one Ibrahim Abdullahi, a resident of Oshokoshoko Community in Lokoja, from whom the gang collected a N5 million ransom," a source also revealed.

The Kogi and Katsina convictions and sentencings come on the heels of a June 3, 2026, landmark verdict by a Federal High Court in Abuja sentencing four men to death for their roles in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The court sentenced the quartet of Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris to death by hanging for the attack which resulted in the death of over 40 worshippers and left over 100 persons injured.

"These convictions mark a significant run of courtroom victories for the DSS, reinforcing the message that those who engage in terrorism, kidnapping, and armed violence will not only be caught, but will be prosecuted and made to face the full consequences of their actions," the source declared.

Alleged Cybercrime: Court Revokes Sowore's Bail, Issues Bench Warrant Over Failure To Appear In Court

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of online publisher and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, following his failure to appear in court as a defendant in the ongoing alleged criminal defamation suit brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar ordered that Sowore be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre and brought before him on the next adjourned date, being June 22, 2026, for ruling on the application he filed for recusal.

The judge had last December granted the politician bail based on self-recognition. He had at the time declined a request by counsel to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, to issue an arrest warrant after Sowore and his lawyer failed to appear in court for trial.

However, at the resumption of trial on Tuesday, neither Sowore nor his lawyer was present in court. This prompted the prosecution's counsel to apply to the court for a revocation of the bail and the issuance of a bench warrant. The prosecution described Sowore's absence as "delay tactics."

The DSS had filed a five-count charge against Sowore over social media posts in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a "criminal." Efforts by the secret police to make him pull down the post were rebuffed by the politician, who insisted that it was within his fundamental human right to freedom of speech to post as he liked. This prompted the DSS to file charges of criminal defamation against him.

Last month, the trial judge rejected Sowore's "no-case submission," ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him. In response, Sowore and his legal team accused the judge of bias and requested that he recuse himself.

Applauds President Tinubu's Supportive Role in Tackling Insecurity.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on Friday commended the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Army (NA) and the Nigeria Police (NP) for their commitment to securing Nigeria and the Southeast geopolitical zone in particular.

The Governor gave the commendation shortly after visiting the State's DSS headquarters, where he inspected a cache of arms and ammunition recovered on Tuesday from commanders of the outlawed Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the State.

During the raid on ESN armoury, DSS operatives, backed by troops of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, recovered a large cache of high-calibre arms and ammunition.

Governor Mbah inspected some of the recovered weapons, including a rocket launcher, two RPG (rocket propelled grenades) warheads, three RPG chargers, 11 AK-47 rifles, and over 610 rounds of NATO 7.62x39 mm ammunition, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) uniforms and lanyards. The Governor, accompanied by the Garrison Commander, Brig. Gen A. SURU, CP: C B Giwa and other state officials, praised the sustained hardwork and collaboration among the various security agencies.

According to the governor, but for the diligence and intelligence of the DSS, those arms and ammunition would have been used by the ESN terrorists to wreck havoc across the South and paint a false picture that insecurity has taken over Nigeria.

Governor Mbah called on Nigerians to, irrespective of their political and religious affiliations, support efforts by President Bola Tinubu to tackle insecurity.

Security sources disclosed that the raid on the ESN armoury came on the heels of intelligence gathered from some arrested ESN members, that the terrorist organization was planning to unleash terror on Enugu and other Southeast States, and create panic and the false impression that bandits have invaded the region.

The Enugu recovery came two days before the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced five members of a band of notorious bandits each to 25 years in prison for assisting the gunmen who, on November 21, 2025, attacked and abducted students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.

The five convicts were arrested by DSS operatives in separate operations last week.

Source: https://thecabal.ng

*Recover high-powered arms cache, ammunition

The Department of State Services (DSS), backed by troops of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, on Wednesday foiled plans by members of the outlawed Eastern Security Network (ESN) to attack several security checkpoints, kidnap women, students and children across the Southeast states.
A security source disclosed that, acting on intelligence acquired by the DSS, two ESN field commanders coordinating the planned attacks were apprehended on Monday in Garki, Enugu State.

The source further revealed that, based on the leads supplied by the nabbed ESN commanders, DSS sought the backing of troops from 82 Division, and executed a covert operation. The operation led to the raids by DSS officers and soldiers on Tuesday and Wednesday on an ESN armoury in the Agbani axis of Enugu State.

The raids, disclosed the source, led to the recovery of a cache of high-calibre arms, namely a rocket launcher, two RPG (rocket propelled grenade) warheads, three RPG chargers, and 11 AK-47 rifles.
18 AK-47 magazines, 1,071 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, two handheld grenades, one teargas gun, a baton and two teargas canisters were recovered.

The raids also led to the recovery of one smoke grenade launcher, two teargas canisters, 10 NYSC trousers, eight NYSC T-shirts and four NYSC lanyards. The source disclosed that intelligence revealed that the ESN members were to have used the NYSC uniforms as a cover to launch the attacks.

Intelligence gathered from the arrested ESN field commanders, , according to another source, revealed that members of the terrorist organization were to have launched massive attacks across the Southeast states, kidnap women, students and children, spread fear and create the impression that the region has been overtaken by insecurity.

The Enugu recoveries came barely a week after DSS operatives arrested five suspected arms couriers linked to the gunmen who abducted students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri Village, Niger State, on November 21, 2025.

The suspects, including two Nigeriens, were nabbed in coordinated operations across Kaduna, Niger and Kebbi states. Recovered from the men were 15 AK 103 rifles, 15 magazines and 1,434 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition.

The outlawed group has been responsible for series of kidnappings and attacks on security operatives in the Southeast, declared the source.

The raids on ESN armoury in Enugu State came shortly after a recent arrest by the DSS of several suspected members of the outlawed organization in the state.

By Lemmy Ughegbe, Ph.D.

When Nigerians think about national security, they think about soldiers. They think about troops advancing through difficult terrain, fighter jets pounding enemy positions and dramatic gun battles. What they rarely think about is intelligence.

Yet intelligence is where victory usually begins. Before the arrest comes surveillance. Before the rescue comes information. Before a terrorist commander is eliminated, somebody must first know who he is, where he hides, how he moves and who sustains him.

That is the work of intelligence. And if recent events are anything to go by, Nigeria's intelligence community deserves far more recognition than it currently receives.

On May 16, 2026, United States and Nigerian forces carried out what President Donald Trump described as a "meticulously planned and very complex mission" that eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS globally.

Perhaps the most revealing testimony came from General Dagvin Anderson, Commander of the United States Africa Command, who stated that Nigerian authorities were instrumental in developing the target and providing the intelligence that made the operation possible.

Think about that for a moment.

Nigeria's intelligence agencies helped the world's most powerful military hunt down and eliminate the number two figure in ISIS.

That should have dominated headlines.

Instead, it passed almost unnoticed.

And that was not all.

Only recently, the Department of State Services arrested five suspects, including two foreign nationals, linked to the logistics network behind the attack on St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State. Fifteen AK-47 rifles and more than 1,400 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

Earlier, painstaking investigations and years of intelligence work culminated in the conviction and death sentences handed to terrorists involved in the horrific Owo Catholic Church massacre.

These are not ordinary achievements.

They are major victories against terrorism.

Yet we are not celebrating enough.

Part of the problem lies in how we consume security news.

There is an unhealthy tendency, particularly on social media, to amplify every attack while paying scant attention to breakthroughs. Some individuals even recycle images from conflicts elsewhere in Africa and falsely present them as recent incidents in Nigeria.

That is not journalism.

It is propaganda.

And it serves the interests of terrorists.

Terrorist organisations thrive on fear. Their objective is not merely to kill but to demoralise societies and create the impression that governments are powerless.

When citizens endlessly circulate images of destruction while ignoring victories, they unwittingly become amplifiers of the enemy's message.

Other countries understand this.

After the September 11 attacks, Americans rallied against Al-Qaeda. Following the October 2023 Hamas attacks, Israelis united in confronting Hamas.

This does not mean governments should be shielded from criticism. Democracies thrive on accountability.

But before politics comes survival.

Before the 2027 elections, there must first be a country.

The war against insecurity should never become another casualty of partisan passions.

This is why community policing and intelligence sharing deserve serious attention.

No government can deploy enough security personnel to effectively police over 220 million Nigerians. Intelligence must flow from communities, and communities must trust the institutions established to protect them.

Trust grows when citizens see results.

And when results come, they should be acknowledged.

There is another angle that deserves serious consideration.

The DSS is presently prosecuting suspects linked to some of Nigeria's most devastating terrorist attacks, including the bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja, the attack on the Deeper Life Bible Church in Okene and the Owo Catholic Church massacre.

It is therefore worth asking whether some recent attacks may represent retaliation by foot soldiers seeking revenge for the arrest and prosecution of their leaders.

If that is the case, the answer cannot be retreat. The answer is more intelligence.
The answer is faster trials. The answer is more convictions.

Since assuming office in 2024, DSS Director-General Oluwatosin Ajayi appears to have placed greater emphasis on intelligence-driven prevention. Terrorist cells have been penetrated. Kidnapping syndicates have been disrupted. Arms trafficking networks have increasingly come under pressure.

That is a story worth telling.

But beyond the headlines and the arrests are sacrifices that seldom receive public attention.

An increasing number of operatives of the Department of State Services have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty. Others have sustained life-changing injuries. Their names rarely trend. Their funerals seldom make front pages. Their families bear losses that the nation scarcely notices.

Yet, these men and women willingly place themselves between danger and the rest of us. They are among the quiet guardians of the Republic.

Certainly, Nigeria's security challenges remain enormous and no institution should be immune from scrutiny. But accountability and appreciation are not opposites.

A democracy that notices its security agencies only when they fail, while refusing to acknowledge them when they succeed, risks creating a culture that rewards cynicism and forgetfulness.

The men and women of our intelligence services work in the shadows. They seldom appear on television. They rarely grant interviews. Many will never receive medals or public acclaim. Some have paid the ultimate price so that others may live.

Yet every terrorist attack prevented, every bomb intercepted, every kidnap victim rescued and every peaceful morning that millions of Nigerians wake up to owes something to their patient, invisible and dangerous work.

Perhaps the greatest victories are not always the ones we see. Sometimes, the most important victories are the tragedies that never happened because someone, somewhere, working quietly in the shadows, stopped them before they began.

Those men and women are the heroes we ignore. They deserve our gratitude.
They deserve our remembrance. And yes, they deserve our celebration

Email: lemmyughegbeofficial +2348069716645

By Augustine Aminu

On Friday, May 15, 2026, the world was jolted by news of the killing of the top commander of the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abour Mainok, and several other fighters. Also known as Abu Bilal al-Minuki, and considered the second-in-command of ISIL (ISIS) globally, the top terrorist commander was reportedly killed during a joint Nigeria-U.S. counter-terrorism operation in Metele, Borno State.

Ever since the elimination of al-Minuki, considered one of the biggest blows in recent times to terrorists in the world over, torrents of encomium have been pouring in for the Nigerian-U.S. joint terrorism operations.

Posting on his Truth Social handle, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote, "Brave American forces ⁠and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield."
Al-Minuki, added President Trump, “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had ‌sources ⁠who kept us informed on what he was doing."
On his part, President Bola Tinubu stated that both countries had “recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism."

Early assessments indicate that al-Minuki, along with “several of his lieutenants,” was killed during a strike on his compound in Metele, Borno State," Tinubu said.

“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives,” he added. “I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort," he added.

A few days after President Trump praised Nigerian intelligence services for helping to hunt down Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a man he described as "the most active terrorist in the world," US Air Force General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, also spoke glowingly of Nigeria's intelligence services.

Remarked Anderson, "The Nigerians have been instrumental throughout the last several months, developing the target, helping us with the intelligence, and providing support. So, it could not have been done by our own forces. We needed to do that in conjunction with them."

Security sources who analyzed President Trump's terse statement, alongside that of the head of AFRICOM, General Anderson, were quick to point out that the "sources" who kept the United States and Nigerian Armed Forces informed of the movements of al-Minuki and his fighters may be none other than Nigeria's intelligence agencies: the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Interestingly, six days before al-Minuki's elimination, something crucial to the fight against terrorism happened in one north-central town, well over 1,100 kilometers away from Metele, Borno State, where al-Minuki and over 175 of his fighters would meet their Waterloo.

Just as DSS, NIA, and DIA operatives were helping US and Nigerian troops monitor the movement of Al-Minuki and his fighters around the Lake Chad region, a set of DSS operatives covertly captured a notorious leader of one of ISWAP's critical cells in Nigeria. His name is Abdulrahman Ozovieh Muhammad alias Abu Ghozi.

Abu Ghozi, security sources believe, masterminded the December 2020 attack on a military checkpoint in Okene, killing two naval personnel and carting away their weapons.

Additionally, Abu Ghozi is believed to have masterminded the 11th March, 2021 bank robbery at Okuku, in Oda-Atin LGA of Osun State, and carried out several attacks on police formations in Okene, Okehi, and Adavi LGAs. He didn't spare security checkpoints along Okene-Auchi, Okene-Kabba, and Okene-Ajaokuta roads.

Also believed to be behind several kidnaps, including the October 2025 kidnap of a Chinese national in Okpella, Edo State, during which eight personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were killed, is Abu Ghozi.

In January, 2026, his group reportedly attacked and burnt down the house of the Chief Priest at the Uhodo area of Okehi LGA. Members of his suspected terrorist group were, before his arrest by the DSS, reportedly set to attack detention facilities in Kainji and Abuja to release detained members of their group.

Security sources believe that Abu Ghozi's capture by DSS officers may have greatly helped the Nigerian Intelligence Services (DSS, NIA, and DIA) gather further intelligence that was ultimately used to nail al-Minuki and his fighters six days later in faraway Metele, Borno State.
No doubt, Nigeria's intelligence community and their military counterpart again proved very invaluable to the recent successes in the global fight against terrorism and helped position Nigeria as a very trusted ally in the fight against terrorism.

For the first time since Nigeria began fighting terrorism circa 2010, the country has now fully turned the heat on terrorists, smoking them. out on a daily basis. The recent successes recorded show that with our Armed Forces increasingly relying on the intelligence supplied by the DSS, NIA, and DIA, Nigeria will sooner than later overcome her security challenges.

Aminu has been an online editor of several newspapers and lives in Abuja.

Source: https://vigil360.com.ng

*Lauds DSS' Treatment of Client.
*Court Sets May 25 for Continuation of Trial

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to social media commentator Justice Chidiebere, popularly known as "Justice Crack," in the sum of five million naira (₦5,000,000), with one surety in the like sum. The bail was secured through his new lawyer, Sam Amadi.
Sowore's lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, whom Crack had debriefed, was visibly absent throughout the sitting.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, while ruling on the bail application, imposed a number of conditions that had to be satisfied before the bail was perfected.

Aside from requiring that the proposed surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court at a fixed and verifiable address for a minimum of four years, such a surety must deposit proof of residence, either through a tenancy agreement or a Certificate of Occupancy, at the court registry.

The surety was required to be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15, with evidence of at least three months of salary payments, a letter of authentication from the immediate head of the department, and proof of pensionable employment. The surety must also depose to an affidavit of means and submit a recent passport photograph to the registry.

As a further condition, the defendant was directed to deposit his international passport with the court pending the determination of the matter.

Earlier in the proceedings, prosecution counsel, M. L. Aboye, informed the court that the prosecution was fully prepared to commence trial. The first prosecution witness, identified as Oronto Douglas, a DSS operative, thereafter took the stand.

The witness told the court that he came to know the defendant in the course of investigations, after he was transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS) from the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps.
The witness affirmed that the defendant voluntarily made an extrajudicial statement, which was duly recorded in the presence of lawyers from the Legal Aid Council.

According to the witness, some soldiers had sent pictures to the defendant, who allegedly converted the images into videos and posted them on social media without verifying the authenticity of the materials with military sources. He further disclosed that investigators conducted a forensic examination of the defendant's mobile phone, from which they extracted videos allegedly posted online, conversations between the defendant and some soldiers, and chats with a godfather allegedly discussing protests, as well as excerpts from his various social media pages.

The witness added that, upon conclusion of the forensic process, a certificate of compliance was issued and signed by a superior officer.

Thereafter, the defense counsel, Sam Amadi, informed the court that the defense had not been served with the investigation report and other documents the prosecution sought to tender before the court.

The prosecution, in response, described the lapse as an oversight and apologized to the court.

The trial judge subsequently admitted the DSS' investigation report as Exhibit A.

The prosecution further tendered an iPhone allegedly recovered from the defendant, a flash drive said to contain videos posted on various social media platforms, conversations extracted from the device, and the certificate of compliance.
The defence, however, raised a formal objection to the admissibility of the flash drive, arguing that its contents had neither been described nor played before the court for proper evaluation.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to May 25 for the continuation of the trial.

Source: https://thenaijanews.ng

Human Rights (CDHR) has rapped the Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) for berating the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over Tuesday's judgement awarding N100 million to two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) defamed by the NGO.
Aside the N100 million awarded for  general damages, Justice Halilu Yusuf ordered SERAP to pay Operatives Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele N1 million as cost of litigation, tender apology in two national newspapers and two television stations, as well as on its website and X handle.
SERAP and persons associated with the NGO have been condemning the judgement, describing it as a "travesty" and an attempt by government to muzzle free speech.
While one senior lawyer and trustee of SERAP, Ebun-Olu Adegborowa alleged that the judgment did not reflect the legal arguments canvassed in the case, the group's Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, described the judgement as strange.
“I’ve been in court several times where I’ve seen even undefended defamation cases that get thrown out because it’s straightforward. You have to prove that the statement was made, you have to prove that it referred to the claimant, you have to prove that it was false, you have to prove that it was published to a third party, and you have to prove damages — how you lowered their reputation in the eyes of right-thinking members of society," said Oluwadare Thursday on News Central TV.
However, CDHR frowned at SERAP's outbursts, saying it was at variance with the ideals of the  NGO which claims to be championing socio-economic rights and accountability.
Said CDHR, "As a foremost human rights organization committed to the rule of law, constitutionalism, and democratic accountability, CDHR believes that every individual and institution — including civil society organisations — must respect the decisions of competent courts, regardless of personal opinions or institutional interests.
"While citizens and advocacy groups retain the constitutional right to freedom of expression and public criticism, such rights must be exercised responsibly and within the bounds of the law. The court, after reviewing the evidence before it, found that the publication made against the DSS operatives was defamatory and injurious to their professional reputation," noted the group, in a statement signed by Comrade Debo Adeniran  and Comrade Deacon Jeremiah Onyibe, President and Secretary Board of Trustees and National Publicity Secretary respectively.
"The rule of law remains the foundation of every democratic society. Human rights advocacy must coexist with accountability, fairness, and respect for due process.
"CDHR reiterates that no organisation, regardless of its status in civil society, is above the law, just as no security agency should be shielded from lawful scrutiny. Justice and responsibility must apply equally to all," stressed the group.

CDHR advised SERAP to "respect the judgment of the court; comply with all lawful directives contained in the judgement pending any appeal, and to refrain from further public statements capable of worsening tensions or undermining judicial authority."
The group also advised SERAP to "allow the legal process run its full course through the appellate system if it remains dissatisfied with the judgment, and to avoid inflammatory narratives capable of deepening institutional distrust or portraying the judiciary as partisan without credible basis."
On its  part, the Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence (CAIDOV) upbraided
SERAP for deriding the judgement of the court. The group's position was contained in a statement signed by its Executive director, Comrade Gbenga Soloki.
Said CAIDOV, "SERAP first made the claim that DSS officers invaded their Abuja office on September 9, 2024. Nearly two years after, and realising that they misrepresented the facts, it is worrying that the tweet is still pinned on their X handle.
"We in the human rights community should lead by example. We should not be seen as the very persons breaching human rights in the name of free speech. Human rights is universal. It is for everybody. We should not trample on the rights of others simply because they chose to be security agents.
"Very big corporations around the world have at one time or the other been caught lying or cheating. Just last year, Deloitte, PwC, & EY Netherlands was fined $8.5 million for cheating. In 2024, KPMG Netherlands was fined
$25 million for widespread cheating on training exams.'What, therefore, is is the big deal in a Nigerian court imposing a N100 million (less than $72,000) fine on SERAP for defamation which is euphemism for lying?"
Continued the group, "Seeing senior lawyers like Ebun-Olu Adegborowa, who ordinarily should be encouraging their clients to appeal judgements, spend time castigating judgements already delivered, leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
"SERAP had nearly two years the matter lasted in court to assemble the best lawyers in their arsenal. They failed to. All their legal luminaries waited until they lost the case, then turned to the media to wage propaganda against two operatives of the DSS.
"It is sad that the same SERAP that has a history of relying on our law courts to hold government agencies and public office holders accountable, is now disparaging the same institution simply because they didn't win this time around.
"If people like Ebun-Olu Adegborowa feel that they know more than our very reverred learned judges, it is not too late for him to transmute from a lawyer to a judge," the group declared.

Source: https://pointblanknews.com/pbn/news/stop-castigating-court-over-n100m-awarded-to-2-dss-staff-cdhr-cautions-serap/

By Tony Asuquo

Seeking redress for reputational damage typically involves civil litigation for defamation (libel or slander), seeking damages for harm to reputation and the attendant emotional distress. In certain instances, financial losses are involved. Victims can pursue legal remedies, including monetary compensation and injunctions to stop further publication. In seeking redress, there is one key ingredient that tends to be glossed over: the assumption that the right to seek redress for reputational damage is exclusive to a particular individual or group of persons. The truth is that this right belongs to all plebians and aristocrats, the poor and the rich. The weak and the powerful. A private citizen can sue a newspaper. A security officer can sue an individual, a group, or a non-governmental organization (NGO). A government official can sue a newspaper or a media house.

The fact that the defendant is a rights organization, a media outlet, or a civil society group does not automatically make the person seeking redress (plaintiff) wrong, nor does it make the defendant right.
When those perceived as powerful in the society seek redress for reputational damage, such action should not and cannot be conceived as an act of intimidation. Victim psychology has no place here.

This principle has, time and again, been tested in courtrooms across the world. The outcomes have been constant. No one, no matter how highly or lowly placed, is above the law. This is what the general public should understand.

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964)

To understand modern defamation law, one must begin in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. In 1964, a full-page advertisement placed in The New York Times by civil rights supporters contained several errors about the conduct of local police during protests.

L.B. Sullivan, the city’s police commissioner, sued the Times for libel, arguing that the errors damaged his reputation as a public official. An Alabama jury awarded him $500,000 in damages. The case reached the United States Supreme Court, which unanimously reversed the verdict in a ruling that fundamentally reshaped the relationship between free speech and defamation law.

Justice William J. Brennan Jr., writing for the Court, held that for a public official to succeed in a defamation claim, they must prove that the statement was made with “actual malice," meaning the publisher either knew the statement was false or published it with reckless disregard for whether it was true or false. The Court reasoned that robust debate about public officials was essential to democracy and that the fear of ruinous lawsuits would threaten that debate if the standard were lowered.

Regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, the fact remains that Sullivan was not denied his day in court because he held public office. Although he was held to a higher standard of proof, the ruling did not eliminate the right to seek redress; it calibrated it. The principle that emerged was not “public officials cannot sue” but rather “public officials must prove more.”

FBI Director Kash Patel Vs. Atlantic Magazine

More than six decades after Sullivan, a strikingly parallel case emerged in Washington, D.C. In April 2026, FBI Director Kash Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, following the publication of an article alleging that he had alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences. And that his personal behavior had become a threat to public safety.

Patel’s lawsuit argues that The Atlantic published the article with actual malice. Crucially, the same legal standard established in Sullivan's case was having been warned before publication that the central allegations were categorically false, yet they were published anyway.

Patel is a public official who believes his reputation was dented by false reporting. Whether he succeeds or not is for the courts to determine. That he has the right to try is not in question.

Nasiru Dani vs. Sahara Reporters

Nigeria already has a settled judicial precedent that speaks directly to this principle, and it deserves far more attention in this conversation than it has received. In October 2024, the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja ruled in favor of businessman and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Nasiru Danu in a defamation suit he filed against Sahara Reporters.

The case arose from articles published by Sahara Reporters on 5 and 9 March 2021. The reports alleged that Danu and top officials of the Nigeria Customs Service defrauded the Nigerian government of ₦51 billion meant for the Customs Service. Justice Mohammed Zubairu found that the publication was false, that it referred to the claimant, and that it contained disparaging assertions against him. Above all, it was communicated to the world via the internet.

The court awarded ₦20 million in damages and an additional ₦15 million in aggravated and exemplary damages and ordered Sahara Reporters to retract the articles and publish an unreserved apology on its website.

The court was pointed in its reasoning, finding that the failure of Sahara Reporters to justify the publication or retract it further proved the malicious intent behind it. It was not merely ruling on whether the publication was false; it was also ruling on the conduct of a media organisation that, confronted with the possibility that its reporting was wrong, chose to maintain it without justification.

The underlying principle the court affirmed is now part of Nigeria’s judicial record: an individual has the right to seek and obtain damages from a media organisation, however prominent, that publishes false and damaging allegations. That right applies regardless of how well-regarded the publication is and regardless of how consequential its journalism may otherwise be.

DSS Officers vs. SERAP (2024)

In October 2024, two DSS operatives, Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, filed a ₦5.5 billion defamation suit against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) after the organisation posted on X that DSS officers were “unlawfully occupying” its Abuja office. SERAP described the visit as harassment and intimidation and called on President Tinubu to intervene.

The officers, who said they were on a routine familiarization visit, signed a visitor’s register and left before the post was made. The post went viral, attracted international condemnation, and resulted in both officers being suspended, investigated, and brought before a DSS disciplinary panel.

SERAP has characterized the lawsuit as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), and Amnesty International called on Nigerian authorities to drop what it described as a "bogus defamation lawsuit." The FCT High Court has since reserved judgment after both sides adopted their final written addresses on February 19.

Like Sullivan, the case turns on whether a publication that did not name individuals by name can still constitute actionable defamation when the individuals can be identified from the description. And like the Patel case, it asks whether those who work within powerful government structures retain the same fundamental right to protect their reputations as any other citizen.

SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, admitted in court that he was not physically present during the visit and that the officers did not brandish weapons, damage property, assault staff, or force entry.

These cases—Sullivan, in 1960; Patel, in 2026, and DSS-SERAP in 2024, illustrate a principle that democratic societies have, for decades, been working to articulate the right to seek legal redress for reputational harm as universal. However, it is not unconditional, and it must be exercised with proportionality and genuine intent.

The freedom to speak comes with the responsibility to speak truthfully. And where that responsibility is breached and real harm results, courts exist to address it.

What distinguishes a legitimate defamation suit from a SLAPP is not who files it or who is sued. It is the question of purpose and proportionality: is the lawsuit genuinely aimed at obtaining justice for documented harm or otherwise? That question must be answered in every case, whether the plaintiff is a police commissioner in Alabama, an FBI director in Washington, or two security officers in Abuja.

Civil society organisations, human rights groups, and the media play an indispensable role in democratic life. They hold power accountable. They amplify voices that would otherwise go unheard. They expose abuses that institutions would prefer to bury. The credibility that makes this work powerful is built on accuracy, fairness, and a willingness to be held to the same standards demanded of others.

When a rights organisation publishes a statement that is factually wrong and causes real harm to identifiable individuals, those individuals do not forfeit their right to seek redress because their accuser carries a virtuous reputation. The law does not and should not create a privileged class of accusers who are immune from challenge. A government official, a security officer, a corporate executive, and a private citizen all carry the same fundamental right: the right to protect their reputation from destroyed by falsehoods. And the right to seek justice when it occurs.

The courts are not just deciding individual cases. They are drawing the lines of a conversation that every democratic society must have: where does the freedom to speak end, and where does the obligation to speak truthfully begin? The answer, as history has repeatedly shown, is not a line that protects only the powerful or only the seemingly marginalised. Since no one is believed to be above the law, this should be a line that protects everyone equally and holds everyone equally accountable.

Asuquo lives in Uyo

*Court adjourns to April 30.


The Plateau State government on Thursday arraigned four suspects arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in connection with the April 2026 killings in Angwa Rukuba, Jos North LGA, of the state.

When the matter came up at courts 9 and 12 of the High Court of the State, Jos, the absence of lawyers for the defendants prevented the court from taking their plea.
As a result, both courts adjourned till April 30 to enable the defendants to get legal representation.

Justices Danladi Longden and Gegeliah Fwomyon, who presided over Courts 9 and 12, respectively, ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the DSS.

It would be recalled that, in the wake of the Angwa Rukuba killings, President Bola Tinubu visited Jos early in the month, where he assured justice for the victims.

The government of Plateau State filed charges of criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism and other related offenses against the quartet of Isa Umar Ibrahim; Auwalu Abubakar, aka Auwalu Dogo; and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, aka Yaroro.

On his part, Adamu Isa Alhassan, who was the only defendant arraigned in Court 9, is charged with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and illegally dealing in arms and ammunition. They were arrested between April 3 and April 10, 2026.

The State Attorney General, Philemon Audu Daffi, who is leading the prosecution, said the actions of the four men were "contrary to Section 269 and punishable under Section 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017."

The particulars of the offense read, "That you, Isa Umar Ibrahim; Musa Abubakar Ibrahim of Riyom Local Government Area; Auwalu Abubakar (A.K.A. Auwalu Dogo) of Jos North Local Government Area; and Musa Abubakar Ibrahim (A.K.A. Yaroro) of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State; and one Ado Ibrahim (now at large) of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, on the 28th day of March, 2025, at Farin Gada, Jos North Local Government Area, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit offenses relating to terrorism when you planned, organized, facilitated, aided, and contributed money to carry out the attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court; you thereby committed the above offense."

"That you, Isa Umar Ibrahim; Musa Abubakar Ibrahim of Riyom Local Government Area; Auwalu Abubakar (A.K.A. Auwalu Dogo) of Jos North Local Government Area; Musa Abubakar Ibrahim (A.K.A. Yaroro) of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State; and one Ado Ibrahim (now at large) of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, on the 28th day of March, 2025, at Farin Gada, Jos North Local Government Area, did commit the offense of terrorism when you planned, organized, facilitated, aided, contributed to, and received money to carry out an attack in Angwan Rukuba, which led to the death of over thirty (30) people in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court."

Part of the particulars of Alhassan's offense read, "That you, Adamu Isah Alhassan, together with one Ibrahim Musa (now at large), Imarana Sa’idu (now at large), Yusuf Sa’idu (now at large), Aliyu Usaini (now at large), Yahuza Adamu (now at large), Mubarak Yunusa (now at large), and Yakubu, whose surname is unknown (now at large), and others also at large between the months of January to December, 2025, and in January, 2026, at Gwang, Rin Ward, Bachit, and Bangai Villages of Riyom Local Government Area and Vom in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an illegal act, to wit: Culpable Homicide Punishable with Death, when you armed yourselves with guns, attacked, and killed the residents of Gwang, Rin Ward, Bachit, and Bangai Villages of Riyom Local Government Area and Vom in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, and you thereby committed the above offense."

Recall that, on Friday, March 28, 2025, no fewer than 30 persons, including children, were killed after suspected herders attacked some communities in the Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas and their environs of the state.

Following the killings, many called for the cancellation of a program, "Experience Plateau, Arts Meets Fashion."

Brushing aside the calls, Governor Caleb Mutfwang said cancelling the event would satisfy the agenda of the attackers. Said the governor, "Last week, the Bokkos Local Government Area came under renewed attack by murderers who are desperate to break our spirit.
"Many advised that we suspend this function, but we realized that these attackers intend to keep us in perpetual mourning, to force us indoors, and to shackle our collective spirit.

“But I said no! Life must go on. Plateau must move forward by the grace of God. The genocide on the Plateau will come to an end. What is happening is not a farmer-herder conflict. Let me be clear: it is genocide, and I urge the international community to take note," declared the governor.

During the president's visit early this month, he met with victims of the attacks, assessed the damage, and promised justice for the victims.

“We are optimistic that ongoing interventions will help restore lasting peace,” assured the president, even as he charged citizens of the state to be vigilant.

Source: AIT

A Federal High Court in Abuja heard on Friday how operatives Department of State Services (DSS) trailed and apprehended a man who sent several messages to some elite schools in Abuja schools, threatening to kill their students and teachers.

An operative of the DSS, Michael Jego, told the court that his agency received petitions from three schools in Abuja in 2024 about text messages from some telephone numbers, with threat to kill students and teachers, and destroy property in the affected schools.

Jego spoke on Friday while testifying as the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the ongoing trial of Agbo, in whose possession the witness said a Techno android phone, allegedly used by the suspect, identified as John Jude Agbo, to send the threat messages, was recovered.

Agbo, who was arraigned on March 17 on a two-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/06/2026, is being prosecuted by the DSS under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2024.

The DSS, in a case summary filed in court, said the defendant is "standing trial on charges of using the instrumentality of his GSM numbers: 08124412783, 08069781274, 08105715028 and 09139681108 to send SMS to some schools in Abuja."

The secret police listed Premier International School, The Regent Secondary School and Oakland International British School, as the schools Agbo sent the threat messages.

The defendant was said to have, in the text messages, "threatened to attack the schools and kill both students and teachers," stressing that it wouldn't take them.up to a minute to achieve that.

The DSS stated that the act constituted offences contrary to Section 24 (1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Section 18 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2024.

Led in evidence by lawyer for the prosecution, Dr. Calistus Eze, Jego said his team was instructed to investigate a petition received from Oakland International School on November 28, 2024.

The witness said his team, in the course of investigation, deployed forensics and apprehended the defendant in Otukpo in Benue State. He added that a mobile phone and a SIM card were recovered from him.

Jego further told the court that the defendant was brought to Abuja and interviewed, following which he volunteered his statement in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACN).

The prosecution subsequently tendered the recovered mobile phone, a Techno android phone; petitions from the schools, a compact disc containing audio visual recording of the defendant's interview and statement making sessions, a copy of the defendant's extra-judicial statement, among others.

The court admitted all the documents and items in evidence in the absence of objection from the defence lawyer, Hamza Dantani.

The defendant, who confirmed being familiar with the Techno android phone, however denied being the owner.

While being cross-examined by Dantani, Jego said his organisation got complaints from the schools through petitions.

He said the petitions did not reflect the name of the defendant and that the phone numbers used to send the SMS were provided by the petitioners, who also provided the text messages.

Jego said he would not know if the phone numbers belonged to the defendant, but that the defendant admitted that he was part of those that composed the text messages.

The witness added that Agbo was arrested in possession of the mobile phone recovered from him and that he admitted being part of those behind the text messages.

At the conclusion of the cross examination, Eze sought an adjournment to enable the prosecution bring more witnesses and exhibits, a request Dantani did not object to.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik thereafter adjourned to May 12 for continuation of trial.

Source: Dailytrust.com

*Pledges Continued Support to State Security Apparatus*

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has commended operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) for the arrest of high-profile kidnappers and gunrunners in the state.
He gave the commendation during a visit to the agency's state headquarters on April 5, in Enugu.

The governor expressed particular delight over the arrest of a high-target gang leader, who has been responsible for a series of attacks on security operatives and kidnapping for ransom in Enugu and its environs, noting that residents will finally be relieved of his reign of terror in the state and Southeast region. He further expressed dismay at how able-bodied individuals could abandon human decency for heinous crimes, stressing that the full weight of the law awaits the criminals.

He praised the DSS for their professionalism, discipline, and role in ensuring a peaceful Easter celebration while urging the command to maintain this momentum, which he described as the core duty of government.

"The good people of Enugu State are grateful for the peaceful atmosphere, especially around the Easter period, brought about through the efforts of the Service and other security agencies in the state." Expressing confidence that the criminals will finally end up behind bars with their network already disrupted, he added, 'It is your duty to sustain the tempo of security service delivery, as this remains the primary essence of government and can never be taken for granted,' stated the governor.

While expressing hope that the State would be rid of criminals with the sustained efforts of security agencies, the Governor also reaffirmed his commitment to making Enugu the safest hub for tourism, business, and living.

Source: https://zagazola.org/index.php/breaking-news/gov-mbah-lauds-dss-over-arrest-of-high-risk-criminals

By Louis Achi

The Igbo idiom "Nwoke nusia ogu nwsnyi enwelu akuko" talks about man's penchant for taking credit for the struggles or sacrifices of others.

For the benefit of those who do not understand Igbo, I'll attempt a translation: when a man finishes a war, the woman takes over the role of telling the story.
This scenario is currently playing out in Southeast Nigeria, particularly in Anambra State. The past few weeks have seen the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, touring markets and schools to, in his words, end the Monday sit-at-home.

Apparently, to underscore his administration's commitment, in a matter of three weeks, he shut two markets: Onitsha Main Market and the New Auto Spare Parts Market in Nnewi. The move has drawn tons of applause for the governor, especially from those who feel that "sit-at-home" has seriously damaged the economy of the zone.

Social scientists, historians and persons in other fields of study have newfound the phenomenon-far-fetched cause and effect. In other words, they believe that every event (effect) is preceded by an action (cause).

Now, Soludo was sworn in as governor of Anambra State on March 17, 2022. The implication is that, by today, March 17, 2026, he has spent four years in office. Worthy of note is that the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) declared a Monday sit-at-home on August 9, 2021 - seven long months before Soludo assumed office as governor. For three years and 10 months, Monday sit-at-home didn't appear to be his problem. Well, until now.

Interestingly, Soludo's anger with the Monday sit-at-home began in late January, 2026. About two months earlier, on November 20, 2025, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment. Before the court verdict, many had predicted Armageddon in the Southeast region should the separatist leader be convicted, let alone sentenced.

What followed after operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) moved Kanu to Sokoto to begin serving his jail sentence, was absolute calm in the Southeast region. Weeks passed. More calm. Not even as much as a single protest in the entire region.
What is more, many say last Yuletide was the most peaceful the people of the Southeast region experienced in over ten years.

Soludo, apparently now convinced that Kanu's incarceration had greatly weakened IPOB, moved in. Being a politician who wouldn't allow any golden opportunity to slip through his fingers, he seized the moment. Suddenly, he realized that sit-at-home was bad for the state. And that, consequently, he had to move to "end it."
What many may not have realized was that Kanu, now apparently feeling home alone in Sokoto, and realizing the enormity of his life sentence, according to sources, began reaching out to influential political and religious leaders. He reportedly began seeking a political solution and soft landing. One of the deals reportedly struck with those he reached out to, was for the imprisoned Kanu to show good faith by announcing the cancellation of the sit-at-home order.

It therefore came as little surprise that, in early February, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful announced that Nnamdi Kanu, from Sokoto prison, had “officially and permanently cancelled” the directive with effect from Monday, 9 February 2026.

“This directive comes directly from Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu himself, who has once again staked everything on the line to ensure that our children return to school every Monday and that our people go about their lawful businesses without fear, intimidation, or molestation,” said Powerful.

To the discerning, Governor Soludo's new found bravado wasn't farfetched. It stemmed from the speedy and diligent prosecution of Kanu by the DSS leadership, culminating in his bagging a life sentence.

The determination and coordinated efforts by the Nigerian state through her security agencies, particularly the DSS, not only has, in the estimation of many, proven yet again that, with the necessary political will, anyone who underestimates the might of the State does so at his or her own risk.

The return to normalcy in the Southeast has shown tsecurity threatsrity, in whatever shape and form, are surmountable.

By early 2026, the result of relentless operations, particularly by the DSS, led to key prosecutions and internal fractures within the IPOB camp. These efforts resulted in citizens having increased confidence in the ability of the State to protect life and property, as well as maintain peace, law and order.

Even after Kanu's sentencing, it was obvious that the DSS didn't rest on its oars. The Service heightened the deployment of human and material resources into gathering accurate intelligence to further weaken what was left of IPOB's capacity to unleash terror on innocent and law-abiding citizens in the Southeast region.

To return peace and normalcy in Southeast, the secret police upped its game in smoking out IPOB commanders from their hideouts. They targeted and seized their cache of arms and ammunition, all the while cutting off fresh supplies. For the first time in years, the Southeast began witnessing a return to normalcy.

The end of the sit-at-home menace in the Southeast is a testimony to the fact that the strategy deployed by the DSS in turning the tide against IPOB's sit-at-home stranglehold on Nigeria's Southeast, worked.

DSS's approach as it were, was, in every sense, holistic. While the agency sustained operations in the Southeast, the leadership pushed for the accelerated prosecution of lingering terror-related cases across the country.
It has become obvious to keen watchers that, intelligence-led security operations by the secret police, combined with adherence to the rule of law, can dismantle even the most deeply- entrenched insurgencies.

What is more, the series of arrests and prosecutions of terror suspects by the DSS also sent a clear message that it won't be business as usual. With the DSS changing the strategy of leading the charge in counter-terror intelligence across the country, a lot can be seen to have changed.

For instance, from media reports, the DSS is now speeding up the trials of suspected terror kingpins like Khalid Al-Barnawi and his lieutenants accused of the 26 August, 2011, attack on the United Nations building in Abuja. The attack claimed the lives of over 23 persons from different counties. In September 2025, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted a DSS application for an accelerated hearing on the matter.

So is the DSS, from media reports, accelerating the trial of five men accused of carrying out the June 5, 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, in which led to the death of over 40 worshippers.

According to media accounts, the same DSS leadership is vigorously pursuing justice for victims of the August 7, 2012, attack on Deeper Life Bible Church in Otite, near Okene, in Kogi State. About 20 persons died in the attack.

In August 2025, to the credit of the secret police, the media reported the capture of Abubakar Abba, aka Malam Mahmuda or Abu Bara'a, leader of the Mahmuda terrorist group, who terrorised parts of Kwara and Niger States. The beauty in Abba's capture is that no single shot was reportedly fired by the DSS. He is currently being prosecuted by the secret police.
Just yesterday, Monday 16th March, a DSS officer narrated before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, how two Ansaru terror commanders, Mahmoud Muhammed Usman aka Abu Bara'a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda) confessed to receiving training in weapons in Libya.
Both men, who are confirmed commanders of Ansaru terrorist organization, Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria, are reportedly responsible for several high-profile attacks, including the
July 5, 2022, one in Kuje prison.

The DSS didn't stop at nabbing radicalized terrorists. Their operatives have gone several steps further to arrest persons who, under the guise of communal clashes, unleash violence on law-abiding citizens. The trial of persons linked to the Yelwata massacre of June 2025, in Guma LGA of Benue State, readily comes to mind.

The attack, in which dozens of people were killed and 107 were injured, drew worldwide condemnation. So much so that President Bola Tinubu had to pay a condolence visit to the state. There, the president demanded the arrest of the killers and attackers.

In August 2025, the DSS filed terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja, against nine suspects. Two suspects, Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi of Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, who are still at large, were charged with four counts of terrorism, among which is the concealment of information about the attacks, before they were staged in Abinsi and Yelwata villages between June 13th and 14th.

In total, the secret police filed six separate charges against the arrested suspects, who are now undergoing trial. They are Adamu and Abdullahi are Musa Beniyon, Bako Malowa, Ibrahim Tunga, Asara Ahnadu, Legu Musa, Adamu Yale, Boddi Ayuba, and Pyeure Damina.

The DSS also charged two other suspects, Terkende Ashuwa and Amos Alede of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, with three counts for allegedly carrying out reprisal attack against the terror suspects involved in the Abinsi and Yelwata attacks.

The ongoing trial before Justice Emeka Nwite began with their arraignment in early September, with the defendants pleading not guilty.

On Yelwata, the DSS DG, Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, according to a post on the official X handle of the secret police, remarked, "The various arrests and trials of terrorism suspects showed that Nigeria's security agencies have been diligent in dealing with the perpetrators of terror in the country. The men we are prosecuting are separate from the hundreds of suspects under the military's protective custody, whose cases are being handled by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. In July last year, 125 of the terrorists were convicted."

The post further quoted the secret police boss as saying, "We shall continue to make the suspects accountable for disrupting the peace of our country, in consonance with the rule of law."

As I write this, I have it on good authority from my usually dependable security sources that DSS operatives have arrested a key ISIS commander. Given the new DSS strategy of using silence to achieve more, it may not be until a few more weeks before the arrest of the ISIS commander becomes public knowledge.

Given the vigour with which the DSS is arresting and prosecuting suspected terrorists and criminal elements, at the same time cutting off their supplies of arms and ammunition, my sources disclosed that the criminal elements are devising new strategies to move weapons and ammunition.

Several sources hinted that the criminals now use unsuspecting women and young girls to move arms, especially in the northern part of the country. The women and girls are reportedly offered between N20,000 and N50,000 to deliver "grains in sacks" to particular destinations. In those sacks of grains, they often conceal weapons and rounds of ammunition.

In a particular case, offered one of my sources, one middle-aged woman travelling with those deadly consignments, even "hired" a child to make her look like a nursing mother.

"Given the rising cases of arms couriers posing as grain dealers, the DSS boss, who is certain that ignorance cannot be an excuse for breaking the law, has ordered his officers to prosecute any arms courier posing as a grains merchant," said a source, adding, "the DG believes the country can only be safe if people are held to account for their actions."

According to one source, the DSS now believes the only way solve the problem of insecurity is by strictly enforcing the law.

The courage, determination, zeal, and precision-intelligence deployed by the DSS and other sister security agencies is, no doubt, paying off. So has collaborating and sharing intelligence. These efforts have greatly decimated the ability of terrorists to transport arms and ammunition. These actions reassure citizens that, no matter the challenges, the state is working round the clock. Not only to make them feel safe, but to, indeed, keep them safe.

As our security agencies work tirelessly to keep us safe, all that is required of us as citizens is to support them with all we can, particularly, with vital information. Together we shall overcome.


Achi, a senior journalist who has edited several national newspapers, lives in Abuja

Source: https://punchng.com/tinubus-dg-dss-appointment-strategy-that-ended-sit-at-home/

Jubilation in Bwari as Army-DSS - Police Joint Operation Leads to Rescue of 25 Kidnapped Victims

* Two suspected kidnappers killed, guns recovered

There was widespread jubilation at the weekend in Gidandogo and Byazhin communities in Bwari Area Council, of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as a joint operation by the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS) and the police resulted in the rescue of 25 kidnapped victims.

The rescued victims, comprising 14 men, six women, and five children, community sources said, were reportedly abducted in the first week of March by bandits operating across the communities.

Sources confirmed that, the gun duel between the security forces and the bandits resulted in the death of two kidnappers, recovery of one AK-47 rifle, and one locally-fabricated shotgun.

The operations followed reports of multiple abductions in Peze and Byazhin communities in the council, as well as in bordering communities across Kaduna and Niger States.

Leaders and members of the communities praised the agencies for the feat, noting that the development has brought a sigh of relief to several communities in the area council.

Speaking to reporters, the community leader of Zone D, Ushafa, particularly thanked the DSS for "working tirelessly with the communities to gather intelligence that led to the rescue operation."

He appreciated the secret police for what he described as the "constant follow-up on the case even before the rescue operation," and assured that community members will continue to contribute their part to support the DSS.

On his part, the village Head, Byazhin ward, commended the Director General of the DSS, Mr. Tosin Ajayi, for "his commitment to tackling insecurity and his humane disposition to the people."

He thanked the Service for prioritizing the safety of his people and prayed for divine strength and protection for the DSS operatives

Reuniting with their families, the victims, who recounted their horrific ordeal, appreciated the DSS and other security agencies. They thanked God for their safe return.

"I want to thank the agencies for their swift response which saved our lives. Today we are at the Army barracks and we have received treatment and they are taking care of us. May God keep giving them the strength to keep setting Nigeria free from these bad elements that have been disrupting the peace of the country," one of the rescued victims declared.

Relatedly, added the source, the DSS arrested a suspected bandit informant identified as Habila Abraham. "He is currently in DSS custody awaiting arraignment in court," the source disclosed.


Source: https://www.nationalaccordnewspaper.com/jubilation-in-bwari-as-army-dss-police-joint-operation-leads-to-rescue-of-25-kidnapped-victims/

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested a suspected notorious commander of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), Sabastine Odo Odam, who allegedly killed 11 labourers and five police officers in a series of violent attacks in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The DSS also arrested Ejike Daniel, a suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), during the intelligence-led operation carried out on Friday, March 6, in Eha-Amufu and Umuhu communities.

Security sources say the arrests followed months of surveillance over the suspects’ alleged involvement in attacks on police stations and the carting away of weapons used in subsequent assaults.

According to the sources, the suspects have confessed to masterminding several attacks, including the February 26 killing of 11 labourers, as well as the murder of five police officers between December 24, 2025 and January 26, 2026.

Residents of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area have welcomed the arrests, expressing hope that the development will help restore peace to communities affected by repeated violence.

Both suspects are currently in the custody of the DSS and are expected to be arraigned in court soon.

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/dss-arrests-suspected-esn-commander-ipob-member-in-enugu/%3famp

Nigeria’s Security Challenges and the Innovative Strides of Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, Director-General of the Department of State Services

By David Akoji, Director Special Duties/State Operations, National Orientation Agency, Abuja.

Nigeria continues to grapple with multifaceted security challenges spanning insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnapping across the North-West and Middle Belt, criminal militias in the South, and separatist agitations in the South-East. These threats have strained national cohesion, disrupted economic activities, and imposed heavy human and material costs on citizens and the state alike.

At the centre of Nigeria’s internal security architecture stands the Department of State Services (DSS) the primary domestic intelligence and counter-subversion agency mandated to detect, prevent, and neutralise internal security threats across the federation.

Nigeria’s Security Landscape: A Complex Matrix

Starting with the resurgence of insurgency led by violent extremist groups in Borno and adjoining states, to widespread banditry and kidnapping in rural towns, and tensions surrounding ethnic and political grievances, Nigeria’s security environment remains one of the country’s most pressing challenges. Analysts and national leaders alike agree that these threats require proactive intelligence, collaborative operations, and strategic reform within security institutions.

The DSS: Key Player in National Security Architecture

The DSS occupies a pivotal position within Nigeria’s security architecture. Charged with collecting and analysing intelligence related to internal threats, protecting critical national infrastructure, and assisting in law enforcement, the agency’s work complements that of other security organs, including the military, police, and civil defence, with a focus on anticipatory intelligence rather than reactive force.

By monitoring emerging threats, infiltrating criminal networks, and liaising with domestic and international partners, the DSS plays a central role in pre-empting attacks before they occur, a necessary function in a country where conventional responses alone cannot guarantee security.

Leadership and Renewed Focus

In August 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Mr Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi as Director General of the DSS, ushering in what supporters describe as a new phase for the agency. Ajayi assumed office with a mandate to strengthen intelligence gathering and reposition the DSS to tackle Nigeria’s evolving security threats more effectively.

Since he assumed office, Ajayi has sought to redefine the image and operational focus of the DSS, underscoring compliance with the rule of law, due process, and respect for fundamental rights even as the service executes its internal security mandate. His leadership posture emphasises the fact that the DSS is a covert intelligence agency and thus has no business constantly showing up in the media.

Key Initiatives and Impact

Under Ajayi’s leadership, the DSS has introduced several notable initiatives that signal a broader approach to security:
Review and Accountability in Detentions: The DSS has conducted internal reviews of longstanding detention cases and ordered the release of individuals wrongfully held on security grounds, accompanied by compensation in line with due process. These actions reflect a commitment to correcting institutional errors and reinforcing public confidence.

Community-Based Interventions: Ajayi has championed strategic community engagement through support for schools, places of worship, and sports facilities aimed at tackling the root causes of radicalisation, a non-traditional but increasingly significant dimension of national security policy.

Recognising the importance of inter-agency collaboration, the DG DSS maintains constant contact with the National Orientation Agency to enhance the agency’s soft power approach to National Security issues.

Locally Produced Security Technology: In partnership with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the DSS has advanced initiatives to produce high-tech security equipment domestically, reducing reliance on foreign imports and enhancing local capacity for intelligence gathering.

Media Engagement and Press Freedom: Ajayi has pledged to foster an enabling environment for journalists, advocating for the protection of media practitioners and collaboration with press organisations to ensure fair reporting of security matters.

Religious and Social Harmony: Demonstrating a commitment to social cohesion, he hosted inter-faith engagements that drew commendation from religious bodies, highlighting the role of mutual respect and tolerance in national stability.

The Role of Intelligence in Preventing Breaches

Intelligence remains the backbone of proactive security management. Through enhanced surveillance, infiltration of extremist networks, information sharing with other agencies, and inter-agency collaboration, the DSS contributes to pre-empting plots and disrupting criminal enterprises before they escalate into crises.

The agency’s work has featured prominently in prosecutions related to ethno-religious massacres and terrorist attacks, underlining the importance of actionable intelligence in strengthening the justice system and reinforcing the rule of law.

Looking Ahead

As Nigeria continues the heavy task of securing its citizens and territorial integrity, the DSS under the leadership of Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi is positioning itself as a more agile, accountable, and community-engaged institution. By integrating technological innovation, adhering to human rights, and employing proactive intelligence strategies, the agency aims not only to respond to threats but also to help prevent them.

The evolving role of the DSS reflects an understanding that sustainable security must be rooted in intelligence excellence, inter-agency cooperation, respect for law, and also social intervention, a comprehensive approach essential for peace and stability in Nigeria.

Malami, Son Return to Kuje Prison Pending Perfection of N400m, Other Bail Conditions

The Federal High Court in Abuja on
Friday admitted former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami and his son, Abdulaziz, each to N200m bail on terrorism-related and illegal firearms possession charges brought against them by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Malami and his son were, however, ordered to be remanded at Kuje Prison pending the perfection of the bail conditions imposed on them by the court.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted them bail while ruling on their bail applications argued by their lead Counsel, Joseph Daudu SAN.

Among other conditions, the Judge ordered the former AGF and his son to get two sureties each, one of whom must own landed property in the Maitama or Asokoro districts of the city.

Justice Abdulmalik said that the title of the property must be deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court along with valid international passports.

The sureties are also to depose to an affidavit of means and hand their two recent passport photographs to the court.

Besides, Malami and his son were also ordered to submit their international passports and recent passport photographs to the court.

The judge subsequently fixed March 4 for the commencement of the trial.

The DSS had arraigned Malami and his son, Abdulaziz on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism and illegal possession of firearms.

In the charge, marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Malami is also accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers, whose case files were handed to him while he served as the AGF and Minister of Justice.

Malami and Abdulaziz are, equally accused of warehousing firearms in their residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birain Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State without lawful authority.

The DSS accused Malami in count one of the charge, with knowingly abetting terrorism financing, while the ex-AGF and his son are charged in counts two to five, with unlawful, possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5720 live rounds of cartridges and 27 expended Redstar AAA 5'20 cartridges, contrary to and punishable under relevant Sections of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Firearms Act, 2004.

Counts in the charge read:

*That you, Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, Adult, male, sometime in November, 2022 at Federal Ministry of Justice, Maitama, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did knowingly abet terrorism financing by refusing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose case files were brought to your office as the Attorney-General of the Federation, for prosecution, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26 (2) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

*Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II, Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your res:dence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did engage in a conduct in preparation to commit act of terrorism by having in your possession and without licence, a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, Sixteen (16) Redstar AAA 5°20 live rounds of Cartridges and Twenty-Seven (27) expended Redstar AAA 5'20 Cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 29 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

*That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without a licence, did have in your possession a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3 of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.

*That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession sixteen (16) Redstar AAA 5'20 live rounds of cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act. COUNT FIVE

That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession twenty-seven (27) expended Redstar AAA 5'20 cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.

Read more...
https://thenaijanews.ng/2026/02/27/malami-son-return-to-kuje-prison-pending-perfection-of-n400m-other-bail-conditions/

Governor Radda Lauds DSS, Army, Police, for Rescuing 19 Christian, 2 Muslim Hostages

*4 Suspects Arrested*

Katsina State governor, Alhaji Dikko Umar Radda, has applauded the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army, as well as the Nigeria Police Force, for rescuing 21 victims kidnapped in the state.

The disclosure was conveyed in a statement issued on Saturday by the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasir Mua'zu.

The Commissioner stated that, Governor Radda commended the security agencies for what the governor described as the "professionalism and courage displayed during the operation."

According to the statement, the victims, made up of 19 Christians and two Muslims, were rescued during a joint security operation on Dargaza Hills, in Danmusa Local Government Area of the state.

The operation, stated the Commissioner, which included the members of the State Community Watch Corps, led to the arrest of four suspects who he said are undergoing investigation.

"The rescued victims, comprising 16 women, two men and three babies, were kidnapped from Gidan Sarkin Bayero Village in Musawa LGA and other locations.

"19 of the rescued victims are Christians, while two are Muslims. This shows the indiscriminate nature of banditry and the government's commitment to protecting all citizens regardless of religion," said the state government.

"The operation particularly targeted the enclave of notorious bandit leader Kamilu Chiroma, also known as Buzaru, in Dargaza Hills.

"This successful rescue demonstrates the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations and the synergy among our security agencies," noted the statement.

"The State Government wishes to assure citizens that the suspects will face the full weight of the law upon completion of investigations.

"We also want to reiterate that Governor Dikko Umaru Radda's commitment to ending banditry and restoring lasting peace across Katsina State is non-negotiable," he declared.

Source: Vanguard

*Nasir el-Rufa'i and His Sons Have a Strong Case to Answer Over the Disappearance of Dadiyata!*

Please fact-check me: With his own mouth, Nasir el-Rufa'i said the following:

"Anybody that tries to criminalise Nasir el-Rufa’i should know that he has a battle on his hands till one of us drops dead."

Abubakar Idris, on multiple occasions, fought Nasir el-Rufa'i and did not hide his belief that el-Rufa'i is a criminal. Today, he has not been seen alive for almost seven years.

When you juxtapose the above boast by Nasir el-Rufa'i, and the statement made by his son, Bashir el-Rufa'i, on Monday, December 23, 2019, justifying the disappearance of Dadiyata by saying as follows:

“Those same clowns who encourage him when he was creating false stories and capitalising on lies that could endanger lives solely for political ends are the same individuals trending hashtags asking, ‘#WhereisDadiyata.’

“Dangerous lies in the public space have consequences.”

Then, it is clear as day that the el-Rufa'i clan have a case to answer for the disappearance of the young, intelligent, handsome and fearless critic, Dadiyata, who was more honourable than almost anyone in that fiendish family!

This same Bashir el-Rufa'i is as bloodthirsty as his father, and on Sunday, August 3, 2025, he threatened to locate and kill a young Nigerian and his entire family after he had made a post on X that Bashir did not like. On that day, Bashir said:

"If you ever utter that phrase to my mother again and delete that tweet, I am going to find you (it’s easier than you think) and unalive you and your family.”

Notice that Bashir said finding the X user is "easier than you think." Does it mean that it is not only the father who knows how to bug and wiretap people illegally?

Another of Nasir el-Rufa'i's sons was accused of sending threats to the Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Honourable Yusuf Liman, about the horrible things that he, Bello, a Member of the House of Representatives, would do to him and his fellow lawmakers if they do not stop the probe into how his father, Nasir el-Rufa'i, allegedly looted ₦432 billion from the Kaduna State Government coffers.

On Sunday, April 12, 2020, this same so-called 'Honourable' had previously sent a private message to a user of X, formerly Twitter, in which he threatened to rape women of Igbo descent, and to traumatise them further, he said he would first dip his male member into petrol before inserting it into their female Instruments serially!

Imagine the barbarity of these men!

Being that both father and son have made death threats in the past, and have the obvious capacity and blood lust to carry them out, there is DEFINITELY sufficient evidence that Nasir el-Rufa'i and his sons have a case to answer for the disappearance of Dadiyata since Friday, August 2, 2019.

Reno Omokri