The Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has approved the release of Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor, an Abia State native who had been in detention since July 2022 over alleged links to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The DG also directed that Nwafor receive N5 million in compensation and free medical care.
According to credible security sources, a fresh investigation ordered by the DSS leadership found no evidence linking Nwafor to IPOB activities. His release, the sources said, follows an ongoing directive by Ajayi to review all inherited cases to ensure due process and timely justice.
“The DG instructed investigators to conduct a comprehensive review of all pending files. Nwafor’s case is one of those thoroughly examined,” a senior security official said. “This gesture, like several others recently, reflects his commitment to the rule of law and adherence to the Service’s standard operating procedures.”
The official also confirmed that three other Abia State residents — identified as Udemba, Onyedikachi, and Eze — who were similarly suspected of IPOB affiliation, have been released.
Another source noted that Ajayi has emphasized accountability within the Service, acknowledging that institutional mistakes can occur and must be corrected. “He believes that when errors happen, the right thing is to make amends. That’s why he has created a culture of responsibility within the agency,” the source added.
The DSS under Ajayi’s leadership has recently taken several steps to compensate individuals adversely affected by security operations. In a notable instance, the DG authorized a N20 million payment to a Jos-based businessman who was mistakenly shot during a 2016 operation—doubling the N10 million damages previously awarded by a court but left unpaid before his tenure.
Nwafor’s case is the latest in a series of similar releases and compensations. Some months ago, three young men were freed after being cleared of alleged IPOB ties. Last month, the DG also approved N10 million compensation for an Abuja-based businesswoman earlier arrested by another security agency over suspected illegal oil bunkering, alongside an additional N10 million shared among five others.
Sources say such actions have become a defining feature of the current DSS leadership’s approach to justice and internal reform.
