An operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) has provided detailed testimony in court on how a suspect accused of threatening attacks on schools in Abuja was apprehended.
The operative, Michael Jego, appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja as the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of John Agbo, who is facing terrorism-related charges.
Testifying before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, Jego said the DSS began investigations after receiving formal complaints from three Abuja-based schools over threatening messages sent via multiple phone numbers.
According to him, the messages contained threats to attack school premises, harm students and teachers, and destroy property.
The schools affected include Premier International School, The Regent Secondary School, and Oakland International British School.
Jego explained that the DSS deployed digital tracking tools to trace the origin of the messages, which eventually led operatives to Otukpo in Benue State, where the suspect was arrested.
During the arrest, a Tecno Android mobile phone and a SIM card believed to be linked to the threats were recovered from the suspect.
He added that Agbo was subsequently transferred to Abuja, where he was interviewed in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.
The prosecution presented several pieces of evidence before the court, including the recovered mobile device, petitions from the affected schools, and a compact disc containing audio-visual recordings of the suspect’s interrogation.
A copy of the suspect’s statement was also tendered as part of the evidence.
The court admitted all exhibits after the defence counsel, Hamza Dantani, raised no objection.
Although the defendant acknowledged familiarity with the mobile phone presented in court, he denied ownership of the device.
Under cross-examination, Jego clarified that the initial petitions did not mention the suspect’s name but included the phone numbers used to send the threatening messages.
He stated that while he could not independently confirm ownership of the numbers, the suspect admitted involvement in composing the messages.
Jego further told the court that the suspect was found in possession of the mobile phone at the time of his arrest.
The DSS charged Agbo with offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2024.
The case, filed under reference number FHC/ABJ/CR/06/2026, centres on allegations that the defendant used multiple GSM lines to send threatening messages to the schools.
Following the conclusion of cross-examination, the prosecution requested additional time to present further witnesses and evidence.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case until May 12, 2026, for continuation of trial proceedings.
