Emmanuel Osase, a Nigerian who is allegedly a member of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has been placed under 60 days of confinement by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Department of State Services submitted a motion ex parte, with the marking FHC/ABJ/CS/409/2024, and the trial judge, Inyang Ekwo, issued the order in response.

During the hearings on Wednesday, A. A. Ugee, the applicant’s attorney, informed the court that the case was presented in accordance with Section 66(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

In order to allow the applicant to hold the respondent for 60 days while the inquiry is ongoing, he asked the court for an injunction.

The service’s prayer was accepted by Justice Ekwo, a vacation judge.

“I hereby grant the relief as prayed,” he declared after reviewing the affidavit’s averments.

Judge Ekwo then adjourned the case until June 3, 2024.

Osase was detained on March 11 and charged with spreading the terrorist organization’s propaganda, opposing Nigeria’s democratic government, and inciting terrorist strikes against Nigeria and its national symbols.

The Department of State Services requested an order to detain Osase Emmanuel for 60 days in an affidavit dated March 27, 2024, which was deposed to by Ahmed Abubakar, an official of the department attached to the Legal Service Department, National Headquarters, Abuja.

The service further stated that the suspect’s release could compromise the investigation.

He said, “It is necessary for the applicant in the case to apply to this court for an order to detain the applicant for 60 days, pending the conclusion of an ongoing investigation in a case of terrorism;

“That 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 and its symbols of sovereignty.”

According to Abubakar, Osase was deported after serving out his five-year sentence in prison for offenses related to terrorism in France.

He mentioned that Osase was still engaged in terrorist operations based on the preliminary investigation conducted by the service.

Abubakar claimed the respondent was still involved with the “al-Alawn Media Foundation,” an online media organization that was outlawed and supported ISIS.

“That preliminary investigation revealed that the respondent, who is an ex-convict, still engages in terrorist activities which previously led to his conviction in France;

“That 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;

“That the respondent who was born in the Federal Capital Territory left Nigeria for France and never returned to Nigeria until his deportation after completion of a five-year jail term in France for acts of terrorism and attempt to join the Islamic State (IS) linked terrorist group, Friqat Al-Ghuraba (Group of Foreigners) in Syria.”

According to Abubakar, the respondent formatted his phone after spotting service personnel.

He said, “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;

“That the activities of the respondent constitute a potent threat to national security and corporate existence of Nigeria;”

But he pleaded with the court to allow the service request, stressing that a thorough investigation of the respondent was necessary to make sure he did not pose a threat to national security or international relations.

“That the release of the respondent at this time would jeopardise the investigation, as the investigation has assumed a wider dimension;

“That there is a need for a thorough investigation of the suspect to ensure that he does not pose any security threat to Nigeria or the world at large;

“That the respondent is helping with vital information that will lead to the arrest of other members who are still at large,” Abubakar stated