DSS DG orders release, compensation of man detained since 2022 over IPOB links

The Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has ordered the release of Mr. Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor, who was arrested in July 2022 over alleged involvement with the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Nwafor, from Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, was awarded ₦5 million compensation, alongside access to free medical treatment, after fresh investigations reportedly cleared him of wrongdoing.

Security sources confirmed that a review conducted by DSS officers found no evidence linking Nwafor to IPOB activities. The development is said to form part of ongoing case reviews mandated by the DG to address inherited files and ensure justice and due process.

The release comes barely a month after the DG ordered the freedom and compensation of Abuja businesswoman, Mrs. Chineze Ozoadibe. According to the source, three other Abia State natives , Udemba, Onyedikachi, and Eze, who were also detained over similar allegations, have been freed.

The official noted that Ajayi has prioritised accountability and correction of past errors, citing earlier cases where victims of wrongful detention or injury were fully compensated. In one instance, he authorised the payment of ₦20 million to a Jos businessman mistakenly shot during an operation — double the amount earlier awarded by a court.

The source added that the current leadership has consistently reviewed detention cases and compensated affected persons, stating that last month, ₦10 million was paid to an Abuja businesswoman accused of illegal oil bunkering, with an additional ₦10 million shared among five others.