DSS Frees Detained IPOB Suspect, Awards Compensation After Fresh Review

The Director General of the State Security Service, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has ordered the release of Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor, who had been held since July 2022 over allegations of involvement with the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra. Nwafor, from Isuikwuato in Abia State, was also awarded N5 million in compensation and granted free medical care after an internal review cleared him of wrongdoing.

According to a security source, investigators reopened the case as part of the DG’s ongoing directive to reassess all inherited files to ensure fairness and proper procedure. The source said the review found no evidence to sustain the allegations and that Nwafor’s release reflects the Service’s renewed commitment to accountability.

The official added that Ajayi has made it a priority to correct past errors where they occurred, citing previous cases in which compensation was issued to victims of wrongful actions. Among them was a Jos businessman who received N20 million after being mistakenly shot during a 2016 operation—double the amount earlier awarded by a court but never implemented until Ajayi assumed office.

The source also confirmed that three other men from Abia—identified as Udemba, Onyedikachi and Eze—were recently freed under similar circumstances. In recent months, the DG has approved the release and compensation of several individuals cleared after fresh investigations, including an Abuja-based businesswoman who received N10 million, alongside an additional N10 million shared among five others.

The source described the pattern of compensation and case reviews as part of a broader shift within the Service, aimed at strengthening trust, adhering to legal standards and ensuring that past missteps are addressed promptly.