DSS RELEASES FOUR MEN CLEARED OF IPOB LINKS, APPROVES N20M COMPENSATION

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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim

The Department of State Services has released four men arrested over alleged membership of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and approved N20m in compensation for them after investigations cleared them of the allegations.

Each of the four men is expected to receive N5m in compensation.

The released individuals are Emele Uduma Ibe, Berefgagha Appah, Ondokeyilemi Aggry and Oyeinmokebebeton Aggry.

A source within the service, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the men were arrested in May 2022 in Sampou and Akeddei communities in Kolokuma/Opokuma and Sagbama Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State.

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According to the source, investigations revealed that the men had been misled into believing they would receive a monthly allowance of N100,000 under the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme.

“The Agency established that they had been misled into believing that they would each receive a monthly payment of N100,000 under the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme, not knowing that they were being lured by a group of IPOB members who are now facing trial,” the source said.

Counsel to the released men, Deji Adeyanju of Deji Adeyanju & Partners, commended the DSS for its efforts towards protecting national security while respecting human rights.

He also praised the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, for what he described as his sincere commitment to promoting and protecting human rights.

Adeyanju said the level of hygiene and professionalism within the service was the best he had experienced in more than two decades of interacting with DSS personnel.

He further reaffirmed his earlier position that President Bola Tinubu made the right decision in appointing Ajayi as the agency’s Director-General.

Speaking on behalf of the released men, Ibe described his release as the happiest moment of his life, adding that the experience had taught him an important lesson he intended to share with others.

He also expressed appreciation to the DSS leadership and offered prayers for the agency’s Director-General and management.

Ajayi, who assumed office in 2024, had ordered a review of more than 300 inherited terrorism-related cases.

The exercise reportedly reduced the number of suspects detained at the agency’s facility to about 100 following investigations, while compensation payments exceeding N1bn had been made.

Previous compensation cases include N20m paid to a Jos-based businessman who was mistakenly shot by DSS operatives in Plateau State, as well as N10m each awarded to Chineze Ozoadibe and Sunday Ifedi after investigations cleared them of wrongdoing.

In a recent maiden media interview, Ajayi acknowledged that the DSS, like other human institutions, could make mistakes but emphasised the importance of providing remedies to individuals who suffered harm.

“Where we admit our mistakes, we offer compensation, and seek ways to improve operations in tandem with the rule of law,” he said.