DSS Frees Four Suspected IPOB Members, Approves N20m Compensation
The Department of State Services (DSS) has released four individuals previously arrested over alleged links to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and approved ₦20 million in compensation for them following investigations that cleared them of the allegations.
Each of the four individuals is expected to receive ₦5 million as compensation for their wrongful detention.
The beneficiaries, identified as Emele Uduma Ibe, Berefgagha Appah, Ondokeyilemi Aggry and Oyeinmokebebeton Aggry, were arrested in May 2022 in Sampou and Akeddei communities in Kolokuma/Opokuma and Sagbama Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State.
Security sources disclosed that investigations by the Service established that the individuals had been misled into believing they would receive a monthly allowance of ₦100,000 under the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme.
According to the sources, they were allegedly lured into the arrangement by individuals linked to IPOB who are currently facing trial.
Receiving the freed individuals, their lawyer, Deji Adeyanju of Deji Adeyanju & Partners, commended the DSS for what he described as its commitment to national security and respect for human rights.
He particularly praised the Director-General of the Service, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, for demonstrating what he called a genuine commitment to accountability and the protection of citizens’ rights.
Adeyanju also commended the professionalism and hygiene standards within the Service, describing them as exceptional based on his more than two decades of interaction with DSS personnel.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Ibe expressed gratitude to the DSS leadership, describing his release as one of the happiest moments of his life.
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He said the experience had taught him important lessons that he intended to share with others, while praying for continued blessings for the DSS Director-General and the management of the Service.
The latest development is part of a broader review of inherited terrorism-related cases initiated by Ajayi shortly after assuming office in 2024.
Security sources said the DSS had reviewed more than 300 cases inherited by the current leadership, with the number of detainees in its facilities reduced to about 100 following investigations and subsequent releases.
The sources added that the Service had paid more than ₦1 billion in compensation to individuals who were wrongly arrested, detained or injured during its operations.
Among previous beneficiaries was a Jos-based businessman who received ₦20 million after being mistakenly shot by DSS personnel in Plateau State, alongside coverage of his medical expenses.
Similarly, Chineze Ozoadibe received ₦10 million following her wrongful arrest, while Sunday Ifedi was compensated with ₦10 million after investigations cleared him of alleged IPOB connections.
Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor also received ₦5 million after investigations absolved him of allegations linking him to the separatist group.
A security source further disclosed that the four newly released individuals would receive additional psychological and medical support to facilitate their reintegration into society.
The DSS Director-General had previously acknowledged that the Service, like other human institutions, could make operational mistakes, stressing that such errors must be addressed through appropriate remedies.
He maintained that whenever the agency acknowledges wrongdoing, it must provide compensation and take corrective measures to ensure its operations remain consistent with the rule of law.
By PRNigeria
