Ex-DSS officer apologises to DSS DG over leaked internal matter, demands Sahara Reporters retraction
- Retired DSS officer Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam has apologised to the DSS Director General and retired officers' association for leaking an internal matter.
- Through his lawyer, he has asked Sahara Reporters to retract a 29 June report he says was inaccurate, giving seven days.
- The sources do not say what the June report contained or what internal matter was leaked.
A retired officer of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nwaogu Ihechimere Ezeakolam, has apologised to the agency's Director General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, and to the association of retired DSS officers for leaking an internal matter to an online platform.
In a letter dated 22 September 2026, Ezeakolam said publishing the matter was "a serious error in judgment" and that he regretted the consequences. He said he never meant to harm the DG's office or expose it to legal trouble, and asked that the matter be resolved internally.
"I plead with you sir, to temper justice with mercy," he wrote, adding that his allegiance remains with the Federal Government and that he has never acted against the country's security.
The apology follows a report by Sahara Reporters on 29 June 2026 which, according to the retired officer, denigrated the office of the DSS Director General and ARODSSON, the association of retired DSS officers.
Seven-day ultimatum to Sahara Reporters
Through his lawyer, Edmund C. Ben of Lawminds Associates, Ezeakolam has written to Sahara Reporters demanding a retraction of the report, which he says was full of inaccuracies. The letter is dated 16 October 2026.
The law firm asked the platform to publish an official response from its client addressing the claims in the June report, and to correct or retract any statements found to be inaccurate, misleading or unsupported by evidence.
The lawyers said they hoped the platform would cooperate, but warned that if it does not respond appropriately within seven days of receiving the letter, they reserve the right to consider further lawful steps.
The sources did not say what the June report contained, or what internal matter was leaked.
What happens next
The seven-day window in the retraction letter runs from when Sahara Reporters received it; the sources do not give that date. If the platform does not respond, the retired officer's lawyers say they may take further legal steps. Whether the DSS takes any action against Ezeakolam over the leak is not stated in the letters.
