DSS releases Abia indigene for wrongful arrest as IPOB member, pays N5m compensation

The Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has ordered the release of Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor, arrested in July 2022 over alleged links to the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

Nwafor, from Isuikwuato LGA in Abia State, was awarded N5 million as compensation for his wrongful arrest and is entitled to free medicare.

Credible security sources said a detailed investigation conducted by DSS personnel exonerated Nwafor.

“The DG directed his investigation officers to conduct a thorough review of all pending cases, and they have been dutifully doing that. Nwafor’s case is one such case,” the source said.

The source added that three other Abia men, Udemba, Onyedikachi and Eze, suspected of IPOB links, were also released.

“Mr Ajayi acknowledges that as humans, mistakes happen. He believes that when mistakes are made, the right thing is to make amends, which is why he has established a culture of accountability and seeks to remedy the agency’s errors,” the source explained.

The source also recalled previous compensations under Ajayi, including N20 million paid to a Jos-based businessman erroneously shot in a 2016 security operation, and N10 million to the Abuja businesswoman previously detained for alleged oil bunkering.

“Some months ago, three young men wrongfully detained over alleged IPOB membership were released and compensated.

“Last month, the DG paid N10 million to the Abuja-based Igbo businesswoman, and added another N10 million for five others to share. This has become the trend under the new DSS leadership,” the source concluded.