The State Security Service (DSS) has released Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor, who was arrested in July 2022 over alleged involvement with the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), and awarded him N5 million in compensation for wrongful detention.
The decision, made by the DSS Director General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, follows a review of cases inherited by his administration to ensure due process and prompt dispensation of justice.
In a statement, the secret police said: “The DG directed his investigation officers to conduct a detailed review of all pending cases, and they have been dutifully doing that. Nwafor’s case is one of such cases.”
Nwafor, who hails from Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, is among several individuals released under similar circumstances. The DG also ordered the release of three other Abia men—Udemba, Onyedikachi, and Eze—who were suspected of IPOB membership.
“The gesture, one of several by the DG, demonstrates his commitment to the rule of law and adherence to the service’s standard operating procedures,” the statement added.
This action follows other high-profile releases and compensation under Ajayi’s leadership. Last month, the DSS released an Abuja-based businesswoman, Mrs. Chineze Ozoadibe, and awarded her N10 million after she was wrongfully arrested by a sister security agency for alleged involvement in illegal oil bunkering. Additionally, N10 million was allocated for five others to share.
The DSS said these measures reflect the new leadership’s ongoing commitment to justice and correction of past administrative wrongs.
