Tag: DSS

 

An operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), Michael Jego, on Friday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how a man, John Agbo, who threatened to attack some elite schools in Abuja, was arrested.

Jego while testifying as the 1st prosecution witness (PW-1) in the ongoing trial of Agbo told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that several messages were sent by Agbo to the schools, threatening to kill their students and teachers.

The witness narrated how the defendant was trailed and apprehended by the service.

He said 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.

He said Agbo was found with a Techno android phone, allegedly used by the suspect, to send the threat messages.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Agbo was arraigned on March 17 on a two-count charge bordering on terrorism.

The DSS had filed the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/06/2026, under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2024, against the defendant.

The security outfit, in the case summary, 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 terrorism and cybercrime Acts.

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

The witness said his team, in the course of investigation, deployed technology to track the suspect to Otukpo in Benue, where he was arrested and a mobile phone and a SIM card 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 and petitions from the schools.

It also tendered a compact disc containing audio visual recording of the defendant’s interview and statement making sessions, and 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 Abdulmalik then adjourned the matter until May 12 for continuation of trial.

 

A human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has accused Nigeria’s secret police of unlawfully detaining a social media influencer over comments about the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Iran.

Sowore made the claim in a statement shared on social media, alleging that the Department of State Services DSS arrested an influencer identified as Sarki because of remarks he made about the Israel–Iran conflict.

Alleged Arrest Over Social Media Comments

According to Sowore, the influencer was detained after posting comments criticising the actions of Israel, particularly regarding the ongoing war and its military operations in Gaza.

Sowore wrote: “I have learned that the lawless Department of State Services (DSS) has arbitrarily and unlawfully detained a social media influencer known as Sarki @Waspapping_.”

He further claimed that the arrest was linked to the influencer’s criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and other areas affected by the conflict.

Call for Immediate Release

The activist strongly condemned the alleged detention, describing it as an attack on citizens’ rights to freely express opinions on international matters.

He argued that Nigerians should not face arrest simply for discussing global conflicts or criticising foreign governments.

Sowore stated that freedom of expression must cover conversations about international affairs, including wars involving foreign nations.

“No Nigerian citizen should be arrested or detained simply for expressing opinions about the actions of foreign governments or commenting on ongoing international conflicts,” he said.

Democracy and Free Speech Concerns

The activist also warned that such actions could undermine Nigeria’s democratic image if citizens are punished for sharing opinions online.

He insisted that the DSS must immediately release the influencer and end what he described as an unlawful detention.

“Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while citizens are arrested for expressing views on international events,” Sowore added.

 

One of the five persons accused by the Department of State Services (DSS) of carrying out the June 5, 2022 attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State, on Wednesday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja, how he was arrested by the secret police.

Omeiza, who opened his defence, told Justice Emeka Nwite while being led in evidence by the defence lawyer, Abdullahi Muhammad.

The suspect gave his testimony in Ebira Language and was interpreted in English by a court staff.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of 41 worshippers were killed during the terror attack on the church, while over 140 others suffered various injuries.

The DSS had called 11 witnesses to establish the allegations against the defendants in the trial that began on Aug. 1, 2025.

The trial court had admitted the confessional statements of the defendants following the conclusion of the trial- within-trial conducted to establish that the witnesses’ statement were voluntarily given.

The five defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25 years), Al Qasim Idris (20 years), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26 years), Abdulhaleem Idris (25 years) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47 years).

The DSS had sought an accelerated hearing in the trial which was granted by the court.

Omeiza, who claimed to be an auxiliary nurse, told the court that he was arrested on Aug. 1, 2022 alongside two other young boys named Hauwa and Yusuf, in the same house.

“The night I was arrested, I used to wake up in the morning to read my book. When I woke up and was reading, I looked at the clock and it was 2:26am in the morning.

“When I woke up, I was hearing noises. At that time, I dropped the book I was reading, I opened my window, viewed through the window and saw a group of people putting on black black and covering their faces. They forced open the door and entered,” he stated.

According to him, they were asking after my elder brother, Jamiu.

“There is a door close to my room, and there were too small small boys there. They arrested them, ” he said, and gave the boys’ names as Awal and Yusuf.

Omeza told that court that it was at the DSS facility in Lokoja, the state capital, that he met the 5th defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, who had also been arrested by operatives of the secret police.

At the DSS office in Lokoja, Omeiza explained that the four of them were kept in a room where information in respect of their names, schools attended, their work, and their father’s name was obtained and recorded.

The following day, said the defendant, he volunteered statement and was in detention till Aug. 18, 2022 when he got to know that his elder brother was also arrested.

He further told the court that before Aug. 18, 2022, when they were moved to Ondo State, the DSS didn’t say anything relating to the Owo Catholic Church attack and membership of ISWAP or any other terror organisation, with him.

At the Ondo State DSS headquarters office, Omeiza claimed he was detained alongside his elder brother in the same room where interrogators questioned them about the attack on Owo Catholic Church.

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until March 6 for the continuation of their defence.

 

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, granted an application by the Department of State Services (DSS) seeking acelerated hearing in the ongoing prosecution of five men accused of being behind the Aug. 26, 2011, bombing of the United Nations’ Building in Abuja.

Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order while ruling on an application moved by prosecuting lawyer, Alex Izinyon, SAN, who noted that the case had dragged for nearly 15 years.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).reports that Al- Barnawi, also known variously as Kafuri/ Naziru/Alhaji Yahaya/Mallam Dauda/Alhaji Tanimu, is being prosecuted by the DSS along with Mohammed Bashir Saleh; Umar Mohammed Bello (aka Datti; Mohammed Salisu) and Yakubu Nuhu (aka Bello Maishayi).

Izinyon had stated that the case had been in court for about nine years and prayed the court for expeditious hearing in line with the court’s practice direction on the prosecution of terrorism and related cases

He said it is in the interest of all parties that the case be promptly determined by allowing the conduct of proceedings on a daily basis, where possible.

Lawyers to the defendants did not object to Izinyon’s application, following which Justice Nwite granted it.

During proceedings, ane prosecution witness, a senior operative of DSS, told the court that the Service was always professional in its investigations.

He stated this while testifying in the trial-within-trial.

The trial-within-trial was being conducted to ascertain whether or not the defendants offered their statements voluntarily.

The witness, identified as PW3, who spoke while being cross-examined by lawyer to second defendant, Bala Dakum, said he couldn’t recollect the specifics of all that are contained in a video recording of one of the interview session with the 2nd defendant, which was admitted in evidence as “Exhibit C.”

The witness, who said he is a computer forensic expert and works in DSS’ Technical Department, told the court that he recorded the interview sessions with the five defendants, but could no longer recall the exact month and year that “Exhibit C” was recorded.

He, however stressed that potable evidential forensic recorders being used by the DSS complies with the Evidence Act and global standards.

He said: “I am unable to recollect the exact date. However, the interactions, the interviews of the five defendants occured between 2016 and 2017.”

The witness faulted Dakum’s claim that there are several skipping in the recording of the statements of the 2nd defendant, Exhibit C, in particular.

On the lawyer’s claim that the cautionary words were not administered on the 2nd defendant before he made his statements, the witness said his role, as the technical officer, was limited to recording everything that transpired between the defendant and the interviewers.

“My duty did not include asking questions or interfering in the process whatsoever. Accordingly, the chief interviewer should be able to address that question,” he said.

The witness added that from the video evidence, he observed that the 2nd defendant was administered the cautionary words and given all the options to volunteer or decline as well as access to legal counsel, but he voluntarily elected to continue with the interview.

On the lawyer’s suggestion that not all the transpired in the interview room was captured in the video, the witness said: “Every official interaction between the interviewers and defendants was duly recorded.”

On why it was only the face of the 2nd defendant that was shown in the video, the witness said it was the standard practice not to capture the faces of the interviewers for their personal safety purpose.

The witness added: “The standard operating procedure of the SSS (DSS) provides for protection in the interest of the personal security for the interviewers,

“However, in doing that, interviews often require exchanges, giving papers or pens for the purpose of recording of statements, body part of interviewers may inadvertently become visible.

“In the interest of integrity, even such exposure cannot be withheld or tampered with or edited as the recording device is designed to be tamper proof.”

On whether a video in which an interviewer’s face is inadvertently captured is either edited or discarded, the witness said every session of official interactions between the defendants and the interviewers are always submitted to the court.

He added: “However, where there are concerns bordering on security as a result of inadvertent exposure, such concerns are left for the determination of the court.”

Earlier while being cross-examined by lawyer to the first defendant, F. K. Kamaga, the witness gave details of how he audio-visually recorded the interview, statements taken, and translation sessions with the five defendants.

He faulted claim by Kamaga that the recording device could be edited or paused in the course of recording a session.

“This is so that the recorder has been used even outside this country. The forensic recorder is designed to be tamper proof, that in the event of a pause, it automatically triggers a closure and signs digitally so that nothing can be added to it again.

“In a nutshell, the device records on two digitally exact DVD in real time, as it is happening and it not is designed to be paused or stopped midway into interview.
Those are part of the security features of the equipment.”

The judge adjourned the matter until March 4 for hearing.

 

The Department of State Services (DSS) has trailed to Oyigbo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and arrested one Innocent Chukwuma who used his social media handle to rally the military to overthrow the current government.

Posting on his X handle (@TheAgroman) Chukwuma stated that a coup was needed in Nigeria and called on the military to “suspend the Nigerian government.”

“A coup in Nigeria is needed. Dispose of APC, suspend the Nigerian Government, and join the AES. That is all we need now. It will happen eventually. Nigerians, the military needs your support now! Only them can save this country. The bastard in Aso Rock has basically sold this country to the West, and they run our intelligence apparatus. Only the military can reset this country. Support them,” Chukwuma posted.

According to security analyst, Zagazola Makama, the suspect is cooperating with DSS investigators.

 

 

The Department of State Services (DSS) says it is not interested in arresting anyone over the shadow government being proposed by a group led by Prof. Pat Utomi.

The DSS stated this on Wednesday through its counsel, Akinkolu Kehinde, SAN, shortly after it filed a fresh application at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The security agency, in the application, is praying Justice James Omotosho to restrain Utomi and his associates from further making public comments or engaging in rallies in relation to the planned “shadow government” formation, being a subject of a suit pending against him.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the DSS had, earlier, dragged Utomi, the 2007 Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), before Justice Omotosho over his alleged plan to establish what he called, “a shadow government” in the country.

The agency, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, prayed the court to declare the move as an attack on the constitution and Justice Omotosho had fixed June 25 for the hearing.

Meanwhile, the fresh motion filed before the presiding judge was against the reports that Utomi, who is said to be currently abroad, had planned to engage in protests, road shows, media interviews and related activities upon his return to the country on June 6.

Speaking with newsmen after the application had been filed, Kehinde said: “Our client is not interested in arresting anybody on this matter, having on its own accord submitted itself to the jurisdiction of the honourable court to interpret the Constitution and determine the legality or otherwise of the ‘shadow government’ or any other nomenclature that it may be so named.

“It must be pointed out that our client, under its current leadership, is a very civilised organisation with absolute confidence in the rule of law and that is why its leadership or any of its personnel will always approach the court of law whenever it feels that there is any infraction on its statutory duties by anyone or the rights of its personnel like the case instituted against SERAP by some of its personnel, is being compromised. Let the court have the final say.

“Gentlemen, we must all ensure that constitutional democracy and the rule of law have its way in Nigeria.

“It is good that as members of the fourth estate of the realm you keep watch over the case filed against the formation of “Shadow Government” by Prof. Pat Utomi and his group.

“The civil suit, as you are aware, was filed by the State Security Service (SSS) in consonance with its statutory mandate of ensuring internal peace and avoidance of any form of insurrection and treasonable felony against the democratically elected government in the country.

“We, as counsel to the SSS have just filed an application seeking interlocutory injunction against the defendant and his group pending the determination of the substantive suit.

“The application being a public document can be obtained from the registry of the honourable court.”

He said the application was premised on the fact that despite the pendency of the substantive action, the service of same on the defendant and the entry of appearance to same by Utomi’s counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, the defendant had continued to make inflammatory statements.

He said such statement were capable of igniting chaos in the country, instead of abiding by the hallowed principle that civilised parties before the court are expected to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive matter.

“What our client has submitted to the court is for the interpretation of the Constitution whether any form of government by whatever nomenclature can be formed or allowed outside the Constitution,” Kehinde said.

The new application seeks mainly, “an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the defendant/respondent (Utomi), his agents, privies, associates, servants, workers or any person acting through him from staging road shows, rallies, public lectures or any form of public gathering, newspaper publications, television programs, jingles or any other public enlightenment programme (s) aimed at sensitizing, instigating, propagating or in any way promoting the purported “shadow government/shadow cabinet” or its objectives or goals with the view to establishing the said “shadow government” pending the hearing and determination of this substantive suit.”

The service, in its grounds of application, argued that, if not restrained, Utomi’s proposed rallies, road shows and actions would “constitute a serious threat to the public order, safety and national unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. ”

It said that as the agency statutorily empowered to safeguard the internal security of the country and prevent any threats to lawful authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its constituent institutions, it was incumbent on it to forstal any threat to public order, safety and national unity.

It stated that before it filed the substantive suit, Utomi, a Professor of Political Economy and Management Expert, had, through public statements, social media and other platforms engaged in statements and actions aimed at undermining the outcome of the case now pending before the court, and which he is aware of.

The DSS said it gathered through monitoring and intelligence reports that Utomi, who is currently out of the country and is due to return on June 6, plans “to stage road shows and rallies under the guise of freedom of speech and association in a bid to cause public discontent in furtherance of his establishment of the purported ‘shadow government/shadow cabinet.’

The plaintiff added, in a supporting affidavit, that Utomi’s intention “is to stage road shows and rallies that are capable of drawing a large number of Nigerians with intent that will cause huge disruption of peace, breakdown of public order, enable riots and violent protests just as the recent “End SARS” protests in 2020.

“All the planned protests, riots and agitations that will ensue, if the purported actions of the defendant/respondent are not stayed, may lead to mayhem with a potential for anarchy, loss of lives and property.

“The proposed allies, road shows and actions of the defendant/respondent constitutes a serious threat to the public order, safety and national unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The DSS stated that on May 26 during the fourth edition of the Topaz Lecture Series, themed; “Shadow Government: A Distraction or Necessity”, hosted by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Mass Communication Class of 1988 Alumni Association, Utomi made statements, capable of undermining the pending suit.

It added that in the statements, widely publicised by various national newspapers and on social media platforms, Utomi defended the creation of the purported shadow government and further stated that if the suit succeeds in favour of the DSS, himself and his group shall adopt a different name.

The agency added that Utomi had been served with the originating process in this suit and had entered appearance vide his Counsel, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN) since 20 May, 2025.

“The defendant/respondent (Utomi) is aware of the pendency of this action before this honourable court as he has been served with the originating process in this suit by courier as ordered by this honourable court.

“Unless this honourable court intervenes by granting this application, the defendant/respondent’s acts may foist a fait accompli on the court.

“It is in the interest of justice, national security, and the rule of law for this honourable court to grant this application,” the DSS said.