Court Discharges 36 IPOB Members Detained For Two Years In Ebonyi State Over Sundry Allegations

The Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the state capital, has discharged 36 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who were detained for two years in the state over alleged various offences including murder.

Counsel to IPOB, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who made this known in a statement on Saturday, said that the 36 IPOB members were initially charged before the Court with the offence of murder in charge No: HAB/29c/2021.

According to Ejiofor, after taking their plea, the matter proceeded to hearing and the prosecution presented a total of six witnesses and closed its case, but “we filed a No Case Submission which was duly adopted on the June 15, 2022 and consequently adjourned for ruling.”

Ejiofor said that on the date slated for ruling on the No Case Submission, the State government ambushed them in court with new information with charge No HAB/43c/2022, already fixed for plea in the same court that was to deliver a ruling on the No Case Submission.

“The defendants were charged on a 3 counts charge of unlawful possession of firearms, unlawful association and arson.

“Later the prosecution filed an additional 3 counts charge of conduct likely to cause breach of peace, carrying out warlike undertaking and robbery making the second charge a total of six counts.

“The said new charge was called up first and the defendants took their plea on same and were remanded before Ruling on the No Case Submission was delivered.

“Our No Case Submission was upheld and the defendants were consequently discharged in HAB/29c/2021,” he said.

The said that trial commenced on the second charge HAB/43c/2022, and the prosecution presented a total of two witnesses in the second charge and “we filed a No Case Submission again.

“The said No Case Submission was adopted on November 8, 2023 and consequently adjourned for ruling.”

He stated that while the second charge was pending before the court, the prosecution again filed another charge with charge No: HAB/59c/2022 bordering on murder against the same defendants.

“Immediately we got information of the said third charge, we filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection against the said charge because it was clearly an abuse of court process and deliberately intended to subvert the course of justice and keep the Defendants in detention indefinitely.”

Ejiofor said that on Friday, the court discharged the 36 accused persons, “However, the Defendants were forced back to prison by the prison officials on account of the said third charge which is coming up for plea and hearing of our preliminary objection on January 18, 2024.”

Expressing hope that the 36 IPOB members will be freed in January, Ejiofor said, “I have no doubt whatsoever that there is more to this strange and unprecedented twist than meets the eyes.

“It is very obvious to discerning minds that someone somewhere does not want these innocent Biafrans to regain their freedom despite being given a clean bill of health by the court. It simply connotes that judicial process is called in aid in gross violation of the rights of innocent Biafrans.

“It is a matter of time, though we have activated an administrative disciplinary process to ensure that officers in the temple of justice who are colluding in this gross perversion of course of justice, are deservingly punished, for which the details shall remain private.

“We shall not rest on our oars to ensure that these innocent Biafrans regain their freedom having been pronounced innocent by the court, as quickly as possible.”

gidgiddy:
That what the authorities do, arrest and accuse IPOB members of all sorts of things, charge them to court, delay the case as long as possible, only for the courts to declare that the authorities have no case

Then tye IPOB members are released only for tyem to hate Nigeria a thousand times more before they were arrested

madridguy:
Let them hate Nigeria 1 billion times. The arm of the law will still catch them again.

gidgiddy:
That what the authorities do, arrest and accuse IPOB members of all sorts of things, charge them to court, delay the case as long as possible, only for the courts to declare that the authorities have no case

Then tye IPOB members are released only for tyem to hate Nigeria a thousand times more before they were arrested

Okoroawusa:
At least 2 years dey enough for dem to get sense

Dafresh:


That's why they will continue to say bad things against Nigeria and you will come here to say they're not patriotic.

Afamed:
Them for allow them spend new yr for the prison

FreeStuffsNG:
“Immediately we got information of the said third charge, we filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection against the said charge because it was clearly an abuse of court process and deliberately intended to subvert the course of justice and keep the Defendants in detention indefinitely,” the lawyer noted.
No wonder you always lose in Federal High Courts.smh.

Wait until the FG appeal and challenge this your arrangee

madridguy:
Let them hate Nigeria 1 billion times. The arm of the law will still catch them again.

Totilopussylick:
Nigeria as a lawless country, anything can comes out from the FG

Brendaniel:


This is the same thing I am trying to tell you on the other thread, Your security agencies arrested them and took them to court and used a constitution that IPOB did not write, yet the constitution did not find them guilty and even declared that the security agencies had no case, doesn't that tell you that in simple terms that it is oppression and injustice on the people arrested for doing nothing wrong.

Yet you are here praying for them to be arrested again, why do you Tinubu supporters love oppression and injustice on innocent people, why do you guys love to hate victims of oppression and injustice..

If they did anything wrong the court would have found them guilty....

There is something really wrong with you guys....

Okoroawusa:

Og'atogbum ma oburu na obu gi no na ulo nkporo a afo abua

gidgiddy:

Then the IPOB members are released only for them to hate Nigeria a thousand times more than before they were arrested

What a country