The Department of State Services, DSS, has continued its recent string of high-profile terrorism-related prosecutions, arraigning two separate suspects in Abuja just days after securing a 20-year prison sentence for ISWAP leader Hussaini Ismaila.
On Thursday, the secret police brought Abdullah Abdulazeez Obadaki before a Federal High Court over his alleged role in the 2012 attack on the Deeper Life Bible Church in Okene, Kogi State, an incident long linked to extremist operations in the region.
Obadaki faces a six-count charge, including belonging to a terrorist organisation, conspiracy, aiding terrorism, withholding information on terrorist activities, and escaping from lawful custody.
During his arraignment, he pleaded guilty only to the charge of escape, while maintaining his innocence on the remaining five allegations.
Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until 26 January 2026, allowing the court to review evidence on the guilty plea and prepare for trial on the unresolved charges. Until then, Obadaki will remain in DSS custody, following the court’s remand order.
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The prosecution of Obadaki revives a case with a long history. After the 2012 church attack, he was allegedly linked to a violent bank raid in Uromi, Edo State, where several lives were lost and large sums reportedly stolen.
Though he was eventually captured and detained at the Kuje Custodial Centre, he escaped during the widely publicised July 2022 jailbreak.
In a separate matter on the same day, the DSS also arraigned Innocent Chukwuemeka, a social media user accused of using his X account to urge the military to overthrow the government.
He is facing six counts related to cyberstalking, false publication and creating public alarm, offences federal authorities increasingly emphasise as national security concerns in the digital age.
Chukwuemeka pleaded not guilty, and his case was likewise adjourned to 26 January 2026. He will also remain in DSS detention pending trial.
The simultaneous arraignments underline a broader national security push by the DSS, which in the past week alone has advanced terrorism prosecutions, cracked down on alleged digital threats, and secured major convictions.
The agency continues to emphasise that both physical and online activities capable of destabilising the state will be pursued under Nigeria’s counterterrorism and cybercrime laws.
Crediblenewsng.com
