A retired officer of the State Security Service (SSS), Nwaogu Ezeakolam, has been ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja over alleged support for the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Penpushing reports that Ezeakolam was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday on four charges including being a member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and supporting the activities of the organisation through social media
The defendant was also charged with publishing messages allegedly intended to persuade members of the public to join the group, and offence the State Security Service (SSS) said are contrary to and punishable under Sections 13, 25 and 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Penpushing further reports that the first count, alleged that Ezeakolam, sometime in 2025 and 2026 in Abuja and Abia State, directly and indirectly supported the proscribed organisation by providing moral assistance and disseminating information in support of the illegal body through the internet and his social media platforms.
The prosecution emphasized that the alleged offence is contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and in the second count, accused Ezeakolam of joining the proscribed organisation, in Abia State between 2025 and 2026, contrary to Section 25 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Penpushing also reports that the third count alleged that Ezeakolam knowingly aided and abetted the organisationI by posting messages on social media calculated to induce unsuspecting members of the public to support the proscribed organisation.
The prosecution said the alleged offence is punishable under Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, while in the fourth count, Ezeakolam was alleged to have posted and caused to be accessed, through his social media platforms, messages aimed at advancing the activities of the illegal organisation.
Penpushing reports that the prosecution said the alleged act contravenes Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended, however, the defendant pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him
The prosecution following his plea, applied for a trial date and urged the court to remand Ezeakolam pending trial, and the judge Muhammed Umar granted the application, adjourned the case until October 29, 2026 for the commencement of trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
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