Aba, Abia State – February 23, 2026
In a disturbing development raising serious human rights concerns, the Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly held Pastor Esther Egbom of God’s Solution Bible Ministry in Aba, Abia State, for over a year without filing any formal charges. Family sources allege she was detained as a substitute for a wanted church member.
According to relatives, the ordeal began in the early hours of February 12, 2025, when armed DSS operatives stormed the church during a night vigil, forcibly taking Pastor Egbom and one female member while confiscating several phones belonging to congregants who had stayed overnight.
“It was shocking. Some members wept, others froze in disbelief. Weeks later, we learned she was in DSS custody in Abuja,” a relative recounted. Family sources say the security agency was reportedly searching for Osonwa Ifeanyi, allegedly linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and arrested Pastor Egbom when he could not be found.
The pastor’s family has described a harrowing year of uncertainty and anguish, with no contact, no official charges, and no access even for her lawyers. “Family members in Abuja visited the DSS office but were not allowed near her. Her lawyers have also been denied access,” a source said.
The case drew judicial attention when the Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in Kuje, Abuja, ordered the DSS to either charge Pastor Egbom or release her within 42 hours, in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/4942/2025. The judgment, delivered by Hon. Justice Odunayo O. Bamodu, was issued on July 9, 2025, and reinforced on September 24, 2025.
Despite this, family lawyers Nnaemeka Ejiofor & Associates say the DSS has failed to comply. In a November 11, 2025 letter to the FCT High Court, they requested a production warrant to enforce the court’s decision, emphasizing that the judgment “remains sacrosanct and has not been challenged in any manner whatsoever.”
Earlier, in April 2025, the lawyers had written directly to the DSS Director General, invoking constitutional rights under Section 36(6)(c) of the 1999 Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, demanding that Pastor Egbom be allowed access to her lawyers and family.
As of now, the DSS has not issued a statement on the matter, and Pastor Esther Egbom remains in detention, sparking calls from her family for immediate compliance with the court order.
