PORT HARCOURT—Chief Magistrate
Andrew Jaja of a Port Harcourt Magistrate’s court will today rule on the
bail applications filed by counsels of 20 pro Biafra supporters
arrested in Port Harcourt during a protest march last week by members of
the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
This is even as the Anambra State police command has denied detaining any supporter of Radio Biafra Director.
The protesters had demanded the unconditional release of the Director of Biafra radio, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu
The Chief Magistrate, Mr. Jaja had to defer the matter till today
after listening to arguments of counsels of the 20 suspects seeking the
court to grant them bail last week.
While
remanding them in prison custody, the Chief Magistrate said he needed
to take a critical look at the issue and thus adjourned till today.
The suspects were, among other things, charged for treasonable
felony. They also allegedly tore the nation’s flag, an act the Police
said was a threat to the unity of the country,
Those arraigned were: Benson Sunday (21), Emmanuel Ali (25), Ukeme
Monday (32), Chibuzo Ezechina (33), Charles Eze (29), Egbo Okechukwu
(24), Chibona Ifion (47), John Douglas (20), Ezenwa Alphonsus (51), Wori
Endurance (30), Chinomere Nwolu (25), Henry Eze (36), Friday Uzunwa
(22), Igodo Abio (34), Akaniyene Uwem (22), Eni Iboro (27), Obinna
Stephen (26), Monday Ocha (37), Obinna Ibekwe (27), and Kingsley
Ezengorie (24).
The three-count charge against them read in part, “…on October 20,
2015, at about 2:00p.m., at Ikwerre Road in Port Harcourt, in Port
Harcourt magisterial District, the suspects and others now at large did
conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: treason and thereby
committed an offence punishable under section 37(2), of the criminal
code, Cap C38, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.
“… on same date and time did without lawful authority demonstrate and
chant war song that Hausa is not part of Biafra, which caused panic in
the neighbourhood, instilled fear on reasonable grounds with intent to
intimidate or cause panic within the state and thereby committed an
offence punishable under section 37(1) of the criminal code, Cap C38
laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.
And “…all the suspects and others now at large on the same place and
time, did wilfully and unlawfully damage the Nigeria flag, which was
hoisted at Zenith Bank Plc, Ikoku Branch in Port Harcourt, and thereby
committed an offence punishable under section 451 of criminal code, Cap
C38 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.”
Meantime, the Anambra State Police command said, yesterday, that no
supporter of director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu was detained by
it, contrary to a newspaper report on the matter.
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, for the command, Mr. Ali
Okechukwu said the 17 persons, made up of 13 females and four males, who
were among those protesting on the said date, were cautioned and asked
to go home by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hosea Karma.
He denied a newspaper report that the police shot four members of the
Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra,
MASSOB, describing such report as mischievious.
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