The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, ordered the remand in Kuje Correctional Centre of a retired officer of the Department of State Services, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam over his support for the outlawed Indigenous People of Buafra, IPoB.

The retired officer was arraigned by the Department of State Services for, among other things, supporting the proscribed terrorist organization.

He was arraigned on a four-count charge, including joining IPOB, posting messages in support of the proscribed organization, and involvement in acts capable of inducing unsuspecting members of the public to join IPOB.

The DSS told the court presided over by Justice Muhammed Umar, that what the retired officer did was contrary to and punishable under Sections 13, 25, 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

When the charges were read out to Ezeakolam, he pleaded “not guilty” to all the four counts. Thereafter, the prosecution applied for a trial date and urged the court to remand him in custody pending trial.

Justice Umar adjourned the matter to October 29 for commencement of trial and ordered that Ezeakolam be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

Count One of the charges brought against Ezeakolam, reads: “That you, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, adult, male, sometime 2025 and 2026, at Abuja and Abia State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did directly and indirectly render support by providing moral assistance and disseminating terrorist information of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB, a proscribed organization, through the internet and your social media platforms, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 13 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Count Two: “That you, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, adult, male, sometime 2025 and 2026, in Abia State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did join Indigenous People of Biafra, a proscribed organization, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Count Three: “That you, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, adult, male, sometime 2025 and 2026, at Abuja and Abia State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did knowingly directly and indirectly aid and abet the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by posting on social media platforms messages calculated to induce unsuspecting members of the public to support Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed organization, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Count Four:
“That you, Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, adult, male, sometime 2025 and 2026, at Abuja and Abia State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, on social media platforms did post and cause to be accessed, messages aimed at advancing the cause of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed organization and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of Cybercrimes (Prevention, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015, as amended,” the charge said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately vacate the court order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts, citing concerns that the action could undermine public confidence ahead of the state’s governorship election.

In a statement issued on Thursday from the State House, the President said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the EFCC’s move, stressing that although the anti-graft agency acted pursuant to a court order, the public would inevitably associate the action with his administration.

Tinubu reiterated his long-standing policy of allowing anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to operate independently without political interference, noting that he had consistently refrained from directing the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative bodies.

According to the President, strong democratic institutions must be allowed to perform their statutory responsibilities professionally, without fear, favour or political influence.

He, however, said the timing of the EFCC’s action was inappropriate, especially as Osun State is only days away from its governorship election.

“Nothing ought to be done to give the impression that the EFCC or any other federal agency is being used to interfere with the electoral process,” Tinubu stated.

The President said that while he was yet to receive full details of the investigation that prompted the EFCC to obtain the court order, the overriding public interest required urgent intervention to safeguard the integrity, credibility and fairness of the electoral process.

Consequently, Tinubu directed the EFCC to return to court immediately to vacate the order freezing the state’s accounts and discontinue the action against the Osun State Government.

The directive comes amid heightened political attention over the EFCC’s decision to secure a court order freezing Osun State’s accounts as part of an ongoing investigation. The development had sparked widespread reactions from political stakeholders and legal practitioners, with concerns over its potential impact on the forthcoming governorship election.

The Nigerian Army  has confirmed the arrest of two soldiers, Privates Onasanya Ifeoluwa and Ukpai Onyinyechi, for working as bouncers at the wedding of social media personalities Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, and Jarvis in Lekki over the weekend.

Both soldiers were identified as personnel of the Nigerian Army’s Medical Services and Hospital at Obalende, Lagos.

Spokesman for the 81 Division, Lt.-Col Musa Yahaya, confirmed to The Nation that the soldiers were arrested on Tuesday and are in custody.

They were allegedly involved in an unauthorised deployment after footage of the wedding, which went viral across social media platforms, showed the soldiers in military uniform providing security and escorting guests.

One video allegedly showed a soldier escorting TikTok personality Ivanna through the crowded venue.

The videos sparked public debate, with many Nigerians questioning whether serving military personnel were authorised to perform security duties at a private celebrity event.

The videos particularly raised concerns because they flouted earlier directives by President Bola Tinubu, which withdrew police and military escorts from persons not entitled to them by law to beef up security across the country.

The Nigerian Army has consistently maintained that its personnel are prohibited from undertaking unauthorised private security duties or participating in deployments without official approval.

According to sources, preliminary investigations are underway to determine the extent of their involvement and identify any other personnel connected with the incident.

The wedding of Peller and Jarvis attracted entertainers, influencers and other guests, with videos from the ceremony dominating social media over the weekend.