A Department of State Services (DSS)’ witness on Wednesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how four suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who allegedly kidnapped and killed their officer, Ekpenyong Owoh, were tracked and arrested by the secret police.
The witness and a DSS investigator told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik while testifying as the 1st prosecution witness (PW-1) in the ongoing trial of the four defendants.
The defendants are Michael Okafor, a.k.a Onyechimeleze; Chinedu Chukwudozie, alias Kante; Chibunna Olisa; and Chigozie Olisa a.k.a Ability.
They were arraigned before Justice Abdulmalik on September 28 on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism and kidnapping.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired to commit acts of terrorism and were involved in the abduction of the Late Owoh, while he was travelling from Port Harcourt in Rivers to Awka.
They were further accused of taking the operative hostage and killing him.
The suspects were also accused of belonging to the proscribed IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), as well as involvement in activities allegedly linked to terrorism.
In addition, the prosecution alleged that the suspects were involved in the unlawful possession of firearms, including an AK-47 rifle, and pump-action gun, in connection with the alleged offences.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Led in evidence by the prosecution lawyer, Munirat Oladunjoye, the witness, who was codenamed “AAA” for security reasons, said he has worked with the DSS for about 17 years.
He said he investigated the matter with his team.
“Sometime in February 2022, the wife of our personnel made a complaint to us in Anambra Command that her husband, who was travelling from Port Harcourt to Awka in Anambra State, was missing.
“We sprung into action and did a technical analysis of the officer’ movement indicated that he was last seen alive in Osomogu, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State,” he said.
The witness said the late Owoh’s Toyota Pontiac car in which he was travelling, was also found to be in the town.
According to the witness, since the area where Owoh was last seen was a stronghold of the IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN), the DSS liaised with the military to get to work, leading to the arrest of one Chinyere Okabue, on June 20, 2026.
Okabue’s arrest, said the witness, led to the arrest of Okafor and the co-defendants.
He said while Okafor, the prime suspect, was arrested on September 14, the three other defendants were arrested on September 20.
Recounting what transpired on the date Owoh was murdered, the witness said the late officer had, on February 23, 2022, called his wife on the telephone that he would be coming home to see his newly-born baby.
“When they intercepted Owoh, Okafor, who was a sub-commander of ESN, and his co-defendants, seized him, and took him into their camp.
The witness told the court that, Chibunna Olisa drove Owoh’s vehicle into their camp and he was kept there until one sub commander called Double Lion gave Okafor the directive to kill him.
“He was shot several times and buried in a shallow grave,” the witness told the court adding that the four defendants had ESN marks 1414 n their bodies.
Thereafter, Justice Abdulmalik ordered the defendants, who were in the dock, to come forward and pull off their wears one after the other to confirm the witness’ allegation.
The witness and the defendants’ lawyers, K.C. Ekwe and G.U. Oputa, confirmed the mark on their bodies.
According to AAA, they gave them that mark as a sign of protection.
He said after Owoh was killed, Okafaor converted his Toyota Pontiac vehicle to his own personal use.
He alleged that Okafor also gave Owoh’s phone to his girl friend, Chinyere, as a gift.
“When we found out that the lady did not know anything about our personnel’s abduction, we granted her administrative bail,” he told the court.
He maintained that all the defendants were involved in the abduction, kidnapping and killing of their personnel.
The witness said Okafor travelled to Cote d’Ivoire and later to India, but he was involved in criminal activities in India and was deported around 2024.
When the lawyer asked how they were arrested, the witness said: “Okafor was arrested on September 14, 2026 through an intelligence-driven operation.”
He added that after Okafor’s deportation, he returned and decided to lie low and worked as a bricklayer at Azia in Ihiala LGA.
He said his co-defendants were later arrested on September 20.
The PW-1 said they voluntarily gave their statements which were equally recorded.
He said their confessional statements were gotten in a relaxed atmosphere with air-conditioning and in the presence of a lawyer from Legal Aid Council.
All the statements of the defendants were admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits after the defence lawyers did not object.
.
“The law says you must be talking in the presence of a lawyer,” he added, mentioning the name of the lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.
The interviewer also told them that they had the right not to say anything but that whatever they said would be used against them in the law court.
The defendants, however, responded that they were ready to make the statements, and it was admitted as evidence against them by the judge and marked as Exhibit TWT-5 Series.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until November 16 for cross examination of AAA in the trial-within-trial and for continuation of trial-within-trial.
The judge warned that if the defence lawyers failed to appear on the next adjourned date, their cross examination would be foreclosed.
