The Director General of the State Security Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has ordered the release of Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor, who was arrested in July 2022 for alleged involvement with the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). Nwafor, who hails from Abia state, has been awarded N5 million as compensation for his wrongful arrest and will also receive free medicare.
According to credible security sources, a detailed investigation conducted by DSS personnel exonerated Nwafor, leading to his release. The DSS DG had directed investigation officers to review all pending cases to ensure due process and prompt dispensation of justice. Nwafor’s case is one of several being reviewed.
The DSS DG’s gesture is seen as a testament to his commitment to complying with the rule of law and adherence to the service’s standard operating procedure. Three Abia men, Udemba, Onyedikachi, and Eze, suspected of belonging to IPOB, were also released.
This is not the first time the DSS DG has ordered the release and compensation of individuals wrongfully detained or arrested. He previously paid N20 million to a Jos-based businessman who was erroneously shot, and N10 million to an Abuja-based Igbo businesswoman arrested for alleged illegal oil bunkering. The trend of releasing and compensating wrongfully detained individuals has become a hallmark of the new DSS leadership under Ajayi.
