A Department of State Services (DSS) witness on Wednesday told a federal high court in Abuja that Michael Okafor, a suspect standing trial over the killing of the agency’s operative, Ekpenyong Owoh, took the deceased’s car and gave his phone to his girlfriend.
At the resumed hearing, the witness, identified by the code
name AAA for security reasons, said Okafor converted Owoh’s Toyota Pontiac to
his personal use after the operative was killed.
He also alleged that Okafor gave Owoh’s phone to his
girlfriend, Chinyere Okabue, as a gift.
“When we found out that the lady did not know anything about
our personnel’s abduction, we granted her administrative bail,” he told the
court.
AAA, a DSS investigator who said he had worked with the
agency for about 17 years, testified as the first prosecution witness in the
trial of Okafor, Chinedu Chukwudozie, Chibunna Olisa and Chigozie Olisa.
The defendants were arraigned on September 28 on a six-count
charge bordering on terrorism and kidnapping. They pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired to
commit acts of terrorism, abducted Owoh while he was travelling from Port
Harcourt, Rivers state, to Awka, Anambra state, and subsequently killed him.
They were also accused of belonging to the proscribed
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security
Network (ESN), as well as unlawfully possessing firearms, including an AK-47
rifle and a pump-action gun.
Led in evidence by Munirat Oladunjoye, prosecution counsel,
AAA narrated how the DSS traced Owoh’s last movements after his wife reported
him missing in February 2022.
He said a technical analysis of the operative’s movements
showed that he was last seen alive in Osomogu, Ihiala LGA of Anambra state. His
Toyota Pontiac was also traced to the community.
According to the witness, the DSS worked with the military
because the area was an IPOB and ESN stronghold.
He said the operation led to the arrest of one Okabue on
June 20, 2026, which subsequently helped investigators track down the four
defendants.
AAA said Okafor was arrested on September 14, while the
other three defendants were apprehended on September 20.
Recounting the alleged killing, the witness said Owoh had
called his wife on February 23, 2022, to inform her that he would be returning
home to see their newborn baby.
He alleged that Okafor, whom he described as an ESN
sub-commander, and the other defendants intercepted Owoh and took him to their
camp.
The witness said Chibunna Olisa drove Owoh’s vehicle to the
camp, where the operative was held until a sub-commander identified as Double
Lion allegedly directed Okafor to kill him.
“He was shot several times and buried in a shallow grave,”
AAA told the court.
He added that the four defendants had marks identified as
ESN insignia on their bodies, allegedly given to them as a sign of protection.
The judge subsequently directed the defendants to step
forward and expose the marks for inspection. The witness and defence lawyers,
K.C. Ekwe and G.U. Oputa, confirmed that the marks were present.
AAA further told the court that Okafor travelled to Côte
d’Ivoire and later India, where he allegedly became involved in criminal
activities and was deported around 2024.
He said Okafor returned to Nigeria, kept a low profile and
worked as a bricklayer in Azia, Ihiala LGA, before his arrest.
The witness also said the defendants voluntarily made
statements in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.
He said they were informed of their right to remain silent
and that anything they said could be used against them in court.
The statements were admitted in evidence and marked as
exhibits after the defence lawyers did not raise objection.
The judge adjourned the case until November 16 for the
cross-examination of AAA in the trial-within-trial and the continuation of
proceedings.
She warned that the defence lawyers risked having their
right to cross-examine the witness foreclosed if they failed to appear.
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