Days After Securing 20-Year Jail Sentence, DSS Arraigns Two on Terrorism Charge, Coup Canvassing
Abuja, Nigeria — November 20, 2025
Two days after obtaining a 20-year prison sentence against a leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Hussaini Ismaila, the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday in Abuja arraigned two additional suspects on terrorism-related offences and incitement for a military takeover.
ISWAP Suspect Arraigned on Six-Count Terrorism Charge
The first defendant, Abdulmalik Abdulazeez Obadaki, alleged mastermind of the 2012 attack on the Deeper Life Bible Church in Okene, Kogi State, was brought before the Federal High Court on a six-count charge.
The charges include:
Membership of a terrorist organisation
Conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism
Rendering assistance to acts of terrorism
Concealing information about terrorist activities
Escape from lawful custody
Other terrorism-related offences
Obadaki pleaded guilty to count six, which deals with escaping lawful custody, but entered not-guilty pleas to the remaining five counts.
Presiding judge Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik adjourned the case to January 26, 2026, stating that the court would on that date review the facts surrounding the count to which Obadaki pleaded guilty and proceed with hearings on the remaining charges.
The court ordered that he be remanded in DSS custody pending further proceedings.
Obadaki, long identified in security circles as a high-value ISWAP operative, had previously been linked to a series of violent crimes. After the Okene church attack, he reportedly led a gang responsible for the deadly raid on five commercial banks in Uromi, Edo State, during which several people were killed and large sums of money stolen.
He was previously held at the Kuje Correctional Centre but escaped during the July 2022 jailbreak, which he is suspected to have helped orchestrate.
Social Media User Arraigned for “Canvassing for Coup”
On the same day, the DSS also arraigned Innocent Chukwuemeka, a social media user accused of using his account on X (formerly Twitter) to advocate for a military takeover of the Nigerian government.
Chukwuemeka faced a separate six-count charge bordering on:
Publishing false information capable of causing public alarm
Cyberstalking
Using social media to incite unrest and undermine national security
He pleaded not guilty, and the court similarly adjourned his case to January 26, 2026 for hearing. Chukwuemeka was also ordered to remain in DSS custody.
Background: Confession on Kuje Jailbreak
Security sources have maintained that after his recapture, Obadaki confessed to playing a central role in the Kuje Custodial Centre jailbreak, which occurred weeks after his transfer from Kabba Custodial Centre in June 2022. The jailbreak saw the escape of over 800 inmates, including convicted terrorists.
A Continuing Crackdown
The latest arraignments reflect an ongoing intensification of counterterrorism and anti-subversion efforts by Nigerian security services, especially following recent convictions of high-profile terror suspects. With both matters now before the court, the next major procedural step is expected on January 26, 2026, when hearings for the two cases resume.
