DSS Arraigns Suspected Mastermind of Kuje Prison Break on Terrorism Charges
The Department of State Services (DSS) has formally arraigned Abdulazeez Obadaki, the alleged architect behind the July 2022 jailbreak at Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, on multiple terrorism-related counts.
Obadaki, also known by the alias “Bomboy,” is accused of orchestrating the jailbreak as well as coordinating a string of other violent operations.
In court before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Obadaki faced a six-count indictment. The charges include membership of a proscribed terrorist organization, conspiracy, assisting terrorist activities, withholding crucial intelligence about fellow terrorists, and escaping lawful custody.
He pleaded guilty to the count relating to escape from lawful custody but denied the other five charges.
Under the charge sheet (FHC/ABJ/CR/629/2025), Obadaki is accused of having joined the extremist group **Ansaru** through an individual referred to as “Abu Muhsab,” thereby violating the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013. He is also alleged to have failed in his duty to report information that could have led to the arrest of “Abu Muhsab,” an offence under the same law.
According to the DSS, Obadaki provided material support to terrorist activities, including encouraging members of Ansaru to carry out attacks on bank branches in Uromi, Edo State.
He is said to have received a share of the proceeds of these attacks directly into his bank account. Moreover, the government accuses him of conspiring with other Ansaru operatives to plan and execute the Kuje prison break, which resulted in his own escape and the release of several detainees.
In a significant moment in court, Obadaki admitted to escaping from lawful custody, the sixth count against him under Section 135 of the Criminal Code Act. He denied all other allegations, prompting the judge to adjourn proceedings to **January 26, 2026**, for a deeper fact-finding hearing. Until then, he remains in DSS detention.
Obadaki’s arrest follows a broader crackdown on Ansaru operatives. Earlier in the year, the DSS filed terrorism charges against senior Ansaru figures, linking them to the Kuje breakout and other terror plots.
The recapture of Obadaki by DSS operatives was confirmed in November 2025, months after his dramatic escape in 2022 during the prison assault. Security officials say his apprehension resulted from a coordinated intelligence-led operation.
With the case now before court, national security watchers believe the trial could shed light on organized terrorist networks in Nigeria, particularly around Ansaru’s role in jailbreaks, bank raids, and other destabilizing acts.
