4th April, 2024
The Department of State Services (DSS) has granted leave by a Federal High Court in Abuja to detain for 60 days a Nigerian, Emmanuel Osase, who is alleged to be a member of a terrorist sect, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, granted the leave on Wednesday while ruling in an ex parte motion filed by the DSS.
Counsel to the DSS A. A. Ugee while moving the ex parte motion, said it was brought pursuant to Section 66(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
He explained that it was to obtain the court’s order to detain Osase for 60 days pending the conclusion of an ongoing investigation in a case of terrorism involving the suspect.
Justice Ekwo in his ruling said: “Upon studying the averments in the affidavit, I hereby grant the relief as prayed.” He then adjourned till June 3 for report of further development in the case.
A court document, The Nation reported, said Osase was arrested on March 11 and accused of propagating the messages of ISIS, opposing the democratic system of government in Nigeria and calling for terrorist attacks on Nigeria and its symbols of sovereignty.
“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,” the court document said.
The report said the document showed the DSS alleged that Osase was jailed for five years for terrorism-related offences in France and deported after the completion of his sentence.
The document said: “Preliminary investigation revealed that the respondent, who is an ex-convict, still engages in terrorist activities which previously led to his conviction in France.
“The respondent appeared not to have renounced his terrorist ideologies, as he continues to engage with the proscribed pro-ISIS online media group known as ‘al-Alawn Media Foundation’ whose main objectives is the creation and dissemination of terrorist content and the promotion of terrorist attacks against democratic systems of government, such as Nigeria and the Western governments, including their interests across the globe.
“The respondent, who was born in the Federal Capital Territory, left Nigeria for France and never returned to Nigeria until his deportation after the completion of a five-year jail term in France for acts of terrorism and an attempt to join the Islamic State (IS) linked terrorist group, Friqat Al-Ghuraba (Group of Foreigners) in Syria.
“The respondent, at the point of arrest, formatted his mobile device to factory settings upon sighting security agents, ostensibly to wipe out any suspicious contents on the device and cover up his nefarious activities.
“The activities of the respondent constitute a potent threat to national security and corporate existence of Nigeria…”