The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed fresh terrorism charges against seven commanders of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), all allegedly linked to separatist agitator Simon Ekpa.
In a statement on Thursday, Favour Dozie, deputy director of public relations and strategic communications, said the accused individuals received money and operational support from Ekpa and other foreign-based members of his faction.
The charges — marked FHC/ABJ/CR/632/2025, FHC/ABJ/CR/633/2025 and FHC/ABJ/CR/634/2025 — were lodged before the Federal High Court in Abuja on 19 November.
One of the defendants, Ibrahim Ali Larabo, was described as an “illegal migrant” from Niger Republic who operated an unlicensed bureau de change. According to the DSS, he allegedly handled large cash transfers for Ekpa’s faction, including funds used to coordinate violent attacks in the south-east.
“The suspects were confirmed to be IPOB commanders, arms couriers, ESN fighters and foot soldiers funded and directed by Simon Ekpa, who has been convicted of terror-related offences and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in Finland,” the DSS said.
The agency also announced the successful prosecution of Ismaila, also known as Mai Tangaran, who coordinated the 2012 attacks on the Police Headquarters in Bompai, Kano, and other critical locations. Justice Emeka Nwite convicted and sentenced him after a trial that began in 2017.
Ismaila, identified as a senior figure in the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP), received 15 years’ imprisonment on the first count and 20 years each on three additional counts, all to run concurrently.
The DSS further disclosed that terrorism trials involving two internationally wanted suspects — Mahmud Muhammad Usman (Mamuda) and Abubakar Abba (Abu Baara) — will resume on 15 January 2026 before Justice Nwite.
The prosecution of Khalid al-Barnawi, the alleged mastermind of the 2011 UN building bombing in Abuja, is also ongoing. Meanwhile, five defendants are facing trial in case FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025 for their alleged involvement in the deadly 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Ten other suspects connected to recent attacks in Benue and Plateau states are being prosecuted, following directives issued by President Bola Tinubu.
The DSS added that Abdulazeez Obadaki, known as ‘Bomboy’— recently re-arrested — will be arraigned for allegedly orchestrating attacks on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo and Deeper Life Church in Okene. Another suspect, Musa Abubakar, described as a key weapons manufacturer and supplier, has been arrested in Plateau State and will face trial.
According to the agency, its director-general, Adeola Ajayi, has ordered a review of inherited case files since assuming office in August 2024, instructing investigators to deploy forensic tools to strengthen ongoing prosecutions.
Background
Simon Ekpa, once a self-styled disciple of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, rose to prominence after Kanu’s extradition to Nigeria in 2021. Appointed briefly as a broadcaster on Radio Biafra, he was later removed after allegedly refusing to follow the station’s rules.
His fallout with IPOB led to the creation of a splinter group that issued controversial sit-at-home orders and encouraged attacks on security personnel. IPOB has repeatedly distanced itself from his actions.
Ekpa was arrested in Finland in November 2024 for spreading terrorist propaganda online. In March 2025, Nigeria formally designated him a terrorism financier.
