…Accused Of Promoting IPOB Through Social Media” — Court Orders Remand In Kuje Prison

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of a retired officer of the State Security Service, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, at the Kuje Correctional Centre over allegations of supporting the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and committing a cybercrime offence.

Justice Muhammed Umar made the order on Thursday after Ezeakolam pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge brought against him by the SSS.

The charges border on alleged membership of a proscribed organisation, provision of moral assistance, dissemination of information supporting IPOB and the publication of social media messages allegedly intended to advance the group’s cause.

Following the defendant’s plea, prosecution counsel requested a date for trial and urged the court to remand him in custody pending the determination of the case.

Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until October 29, 2026, for the commencement of trial and ordered that Ezeakolam be held at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

In the first count, the prosecution alleged that the retired officer, sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja and Abia State, directly and indirectly provided moral assistance to IPOB and disseminated information relating to the group through the internet and his social media platforms.

The alleged offence was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 13 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The second count alleged that Ezeakolam joined IPOB in Abia State sometime between 2025 and 2026, contrary to Section 25 of the Terrorism Act.

In the third count, the prosecution accused him of knowingly aiding and abetting the organisation by publishing messages on social media allegedly calculated to persuade members of the public to support it.

The charge was brought under Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The fourth count alleged that Ezeakolam posted or caused messages intended to advance IPOB’s cause to be accessed through social media platforms.

The prosecution said the alleged publication constituted an offence under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended.

Ezeakolam denied all the allegations when the charges were read to him in open court.

The court has not determined the substance of the allegations, and the defendant remains presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.

IPOB was proscribed in September 2017 following an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja declaring it an unlawful organisation.

The group, led by detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, has consistently rejected its designation as a terrorist organisation, maintaining that it is a non-violent movement campaigning for the self-determination of Nigeria’s South-East region.

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