All thirty-six (36) members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who had been detained for two years in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, have been released by the Ebonyi State High Court.
The counsel representing IPOB, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, confirmed this development in a statement released on Saturday.
Initially charged with murder under charge No: HAB/29c/2021, the IPOB members pleaded not guilty, and the case proceeded to a hearing.
The prosecution presented six witnesses and closed its case, after which we submitted a No Case Submission. This submission was duly adopted on June 15, 2022, and the ruling was subsequently adjourned.
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 three 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.
Ejiofor explained that the trial for the second charge HAB/43c/2022 was commenced earlier, and the prosecution called two witnesses to testify. Furthermore, he said they submitted a No Case Submission once again.
According to him, the No Case Submission was officially adopted on November 8, 2023, and the proceedings were subsequently adjourned for the 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,” the lawyer noted.
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 eye.
“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 the 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 the 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.”
