DSS Witness Makes Shocking Revelation In Trial Over Murder Of Operative Ekpenyong Owoh

A witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that Michael Okafor, one of the suspects standing trial over the alleged murder of a DSS operative, Ekpenyong Asuquo Owoh, took the deceased’s vehicle and handed his mobile phone to his girlfriend after the incident.

The revelation was made during proceedings on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, when the prosecution’s first witness, identified by the code name AAA for security reasons, testified before the court.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the DSS investigator, who disclosed that he had served with the agency for approximately 17 years, alleged that Okafor converted Owoh’s Toyota Pontiac for personal use after the operative was allegedly murdered.

He further told the court that the suspect gave the deceased’s mobile phone to his girlfriend, Chinyere Okabue, as a gift.

The witness explained that investigators later established that Okabue had no knowledge of the alleged abduction of the DSS operative, prompting the agency to grant her administrative bail.

AAA is the first prosecution witness in the trial involving Okafor, Chinedu Chukwudozie, Chibunna Olisa and Chigozie Olisa, who were arraigned on September 28, 2026, on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism and kidnapping. All four defendants pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The prosecution accused the defendants of conspiring to commit acts of terrorism, abducting Owoh while he was travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Awka, Anambra State, and subsequently murdering 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.

While giving his account of the investigation, AAA told the court that the DSS began tracing Owoh’s movements after his wife reported him missing in February 2022.

He explained that technical investigations into the operative’s movements indicated that he was last seen alive in Osomogu, within the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. His Toyota Pontiac was also reportedly traced to the same community.

The witness said the DSS collaborated with military personnel during the investigation because the area was believed to be a stronghold of IPOB and ESN members.

He further disclosed that the operation resulted in the arrest of one Okabue on June 20, 2026, an incident he said helped investigators identify and track down the four defendants.

According to his testimony, Okafor was arrested on September 14, while the other three suspects were apprehended on September 20.

Recounting the circumstances surrounding the alleged murder, AAA told the court that Owoh contacted his wife on February 23, 2022, informing her that he intended to return home to see their newborn baby.

The witness alleged that Okafor, whom he identified as an ESN sub-commander, and the other defendants intercepted the operative and took him to their camp.

He further claimed that Chibunna Olisa drove Owoh’s vehicle to the camp, where the operative was allegedly held before a sub-commander identified as Double Lion instructed Okafor to kill him.

AAA alleged that Owoh was shot several times before his body was buried in a shallow grave.

The investigator also informed the court that the four defendants had marks believed to be ESN insignia on their bodies, which he alleged were given to members as a form of protection.

Following the testimony, the presiding judge directed the defendants to step forward and expose the marks for inspection. The witness and defence lawyers, K.C. Ekwe and G.U. Oputa, subsequently confirmed their presence.

The DSS witness also alleged that Okafor travelled to Côte d’Ivoire and later India, where he became involved in criminal activities before reportedly being deported around 2024.

He said Okafor subsequently returned to Nigeria, maintained a low profile and worked as a bricklayer in Azia, Ihiala Local Government Area, before his eventual arrest.

AAA further told the court that the defendants voluntarily made statements to investigators in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council. He maintained that they were informed of their right to remain silent and warned that anything they said could be used against them in court.

The statements were subsequently admitted as exhibits after the defence lawyers raised no objections.

The presiding judge adjourned the matter until November 16, 2026, for the cross-examination of the witness during the trial-within-trial and the continuation of proceedings.

The judge also cautioned the defence lawyers that failure to appear could result in their right to cross-examine the witness being foreclosed.

The defendants remain accused persons, and the allegations against them are yet to be established by the court.