THISDAY
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday gave permission to the Department of State Services (DSS) to keep in its custody a Nigerian, Emmanuel Osase, over allegations bordering on being a member of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
According to Justice Ekwo, the defendant is to be in custody for 60 days, within which the security agency is expected to have concluded its investigation.
The court’s decision was sequel to an exparte application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/409/2024, and filed by the DSS.
The counsel to the DSS, Mr A. A Ugee, had told the court that the matter was brought pursuant to Section 66(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
He prayed the court for an order enabling the DSS to detain Osase for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigation.
Responding, Justice Ekwo, in a short ruling held that: “Upon studying the averments in the affidavit, I hereby grant the relief as prayed”, just as he adjourned the matter till June 3, 2024.
Osase, who was arrested on March 11 for allegedly propagating the messages of the terrorist group, opposing the democratic system of government in Nigeria, was allegedly calling for terrorist attacks on Nigeria and its symbols of sovereignty.
The service, in an affidavit dated March 27, sought an order of the court to detain the suspect for 60 days, adding that the release of the suspect could jeopardize its investigation.
Deponent of the affidavit, Mr Ahmad Abubakar, from the Legal Service Department, DSS National Headquarters, Abuja, disclosed that the respondent was arrested by a team of personnel from the applicant’s office for alleged “membership and propagation of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist messages, including opposition to the democratic system of government and the call for staging terrorist attacks against Nigeria State and its symbols of sovereignty”.
Abubakar stated that Osase was jailed for five years for terrorism-related offences in France and was deported after the completion of his sentence.
