A Federal High Court in Abuja has authorized the Department of State Service (DSS) to detain 10 suspected terrorists for 60 days while investigations continue. The suspects, who were planning to establish a Boko Haram/ISWAP cell in Osun State, were arrested on December 16, 2024, in Ilesa East Local Government Area. Justice Emeka Nwite, ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by DSS lawyer Y.I. Umar, granted the request, stating the application was valid. The matter has been adjourned until March 3, 2025.
The DSS investigation indicated that the suspects were undergoing training to manufacture and deploy improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and were members of Boko Haram/ISWAP. Intelligence reports suggest that they were planning to launch an operational cell in Osun State. The DSS also claimed that the suspects were former members of Abubakar Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram, who fled from Sambisa Forest due to military pressure.
The court also approved the DSS’s request to detain two other suspects, Ayomide Akintunde and Nurudeen Adesiyan, for 60 days. These individuals were arrested on December 19, 2024, in connection with a Moroccan terrorist currently held by Spanish authorities. The suspects allegedly communicated with the Moroccan terrorist using GSM numbers and were implicated in planning jihadist activities targeting Nigeria. The DSS argued that releasing them could impede the investigation and pose a broader security risk. The case for these suspects was also adjourned until March 3.
