Nnamdi KANU’s lawyer begs Gov. Nwifuru to free 35 Biafrans granted bail 4 times by court

By Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

The leading counsel to the national leader of the indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB, Ifeanyi Ejiofor has urged the governor of Ebonyi State Francis Nwifuru to release over 35 Biafrans jailed in Abakaliki correctional centre since 2021.

Ejimofor lamented that the 35 Biafrans were granted bail by a court of competent jurisdiction at the Ebonyi state judiciary four times but authorities have continued to hold them hostage at the Abakaliki correctional centre, even when they have no case to answer.

The Biafran counsel, Ejimofor made this known while speaking to newsmen in Abakaliki shortly after a court sitting that took place at the state high court and headed by justice B. I CHUKWU.

The Nations News Nigeria reports that the detainees, in case file number HIK/9c/24 state vs Ebube Ivom and 35 others, were earlier charged for armed robbery and murder, but were struck out by court  for a no case submission.

Ejimofor said: “This is a matter that commenced sometime in 2021.This innocent Biafrans,all Ebonyi citizens, indigents, were arrested at different places in 2021 by Nigerian police. And charged, first of all, they were charged for, after seeing the numbers, they were charged for the offence of murder in this court.

“And at the end of the prosecution’s case, evidence was laid, they called witnesses, we filed a no case submission indicating that their evidence laid cannot sustain the boguscharge pre-filed against them.

“And the court considered it on the merits and accordingly sustained the no case submission and discharged them. They were still in custody when the prosecutor filed anothercharge, that borders on armed robbery, arson, unlawful possession of firearms,and all what not.6 in numbers. We told them to exercise patients. The trial commenced, they brought in three witnesses, they also tendered several exhibits in court to prove their case.”At the end of the prosecution’s case, we also filed a no case submission because the evidence adduced at the trial cannot sustain the charge, the bogus charge. And the court also found the obligation meritorious and sustained it and discharged the defendants. 

“For the second time, they ran to another court and filed another charge that boarderson armed robbery.Then we also urged them to calm down, to relax, that we should get to the end of the trial. There must be an end to litigation. The process was followed seamlessly.

“The prosecutors filed their three witnesses as well, tendered several exhibits at the end of the prosecution’s case, and we filed a no case submission. Then the institution found our obligation meritorious, discharged and then acquitted them.Then they were released.

“They were also re-arrested, taken into custody again. And now they filed another charge of armed robbery with the same particulars, the same information, the same witnesses, the same facts for evidence before another court.

“Then we also filed an objection to the charge on the ground that the accused persons have been discharged, tried and discharged and acquitted on similar facts and charges. The court this morning ruled on our objection and sustained our objection. And quite accordingly, discharged these defendants and acquitted them.

Ejimofor however begged Ebonyi state governor, Francis Nwifuru to intervene and ensure that the innocent Biafrans are freed :”I’ve severely urged the authority of the state, the DPP, the AG, and also the governor to do the honorable thing by releasing these children, the innocent Ebonyi indigenes. They are not from Anambra, they are not from Enugu,they are not from Abia State, they are not from River State, they are not from West, they are not from North, they are from Ebonyi State.

“They are all indigenesof Ebonyi State. Being held since 2021 in four different locations, the court of competent jurisdiction hasdischarged and acquitted them. And the prosecutor has never gone to appeal any of those rulings.Rather they are shopping, looking for court, they will probably obtain kangaroo judgment or other. And they refuse. I commend the judiciary of Ebonyi State, I commendthem for their courage and dexterity to do justice to all matters of man. I don’t advise any form of violence. I know it will, they started with law and it will end with law.

“They were held since 2021,this is four years, going to five years, without committing any offence. And it’s worse still when a court of competent judicial has, in several four occasions, discharged and acquitted them and yet they still holding them. What kind of law are they practicing in Ebonyi State? We cannot see this kind of situation in Ebonyi State.

“You won’t see it in Abuja or any other State. You won’t see it in Enugu State. You won’t see it in Imo State.It hasn’t happened. In each of the occasions I go for any matter and get my client discharged,we go to release them without wasting time. 

“I’m urging the state governor to intervene.Get these people out.Let them go and face their life. I’ve not seen such thing before. And it cannot continue.There must be an end to this madness.It’s complete madness.There must be an end to it” he stressed.

All efforts to get the reaction of the prosecuting counsel, E A Okoli esq, a  senior state counsel  at the time of filing this repor, proved abortive.

The presiding judge, justice B. I CHUKWU  who equally discharge and acquitted the defendants for the fourth time, however said no, that shecan no longer continue, that the mental torture is much, that when  she was going through the case, that she wasn’t settled, that she doesn’t have the mental state to continue with the trial,with the further hearing of the case and however withdrew herself from further taking up the new charge by the prosecutor.