…There was no evidence, grant them bail– IPOB lawyer tells court
By Chukwuemeka Chimerue
ENUGU— A Magistrate Court in Enugu, presided by Magistrate A. N. Chioke has remanded 140 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, over charges of treason.
The IPOB members were arrested by men of the Nigerian army at Ibeagwa Nike military checkpoint en route to Nsukka on Wednesday, 22 May for their scheduled evangelism for May 30 sit-at-home sensitization rally.
When they were brought to the court yesterday, in three 608 buses and one 18-seater bus, the defendants all pleaded not guilty on the allegation of conspiring to commit treasonable felony.
They were however, arraigned outside the court for about two hours as the court room could not accommodate them.
The offence was said to be punishable under Sect. 516 (A) of the Criminal Code CAP C38, Laws of Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Enugu State.
The defense counsel to the IPOB members, Mr. Osita Abalu applied for their bail on the grounds that there was no evidence to back up the charge.
Abalu said that the prosecution had failed to provide probable cause why the defendants should be remanded in court in line with Section 234 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws (ACJL) of Enugu State, 2017.
He urged the court to exercise its powers under Section 225 of the same law and grant bail to the defendants.
Abalu said that though the offence for which the defendants were charged was punishable with life imprisonment, Section 88 of the ACJL, the Magistrates Court was qualified to grant bail.
He also urged the court to order the release of the four buses conveying the defendants to the venue of their scheduled evangelism in Nsukka area of Enugu.
Also speaking, another counsel to the 104 defendants, Mr F.C. Okeke told the court that it was ridiculous for the prosecution to claim that the defendants attempted to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari.
Okeke said that the defendants were arrested on their way to a burial and wondered how that could translate to over-throwing the government.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is in Abuja, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is in Enugu while the defendants were arrested in Nsukka,” he said.
The counsel described the charge as trumped-up and meant to deny the defendants of their fundamental rights.
Okeke said that the prosecution deliberately brought the matter to the Magistrates Court just to punish them.
“An accused person cannot be brought to a court when such court has no jurisdiction to entertain the matter just to punish them.
“That is the essence of the ACJL of Enugu State. The law does not want an innocent soul to suffer.
“The defendants were arrested with no evidence; not even a razor blade. They were going to a burial,” he said.
Okeke urged the court to grant them bail in the most lenient means.
However, the prosecution counsel, Mr Paschal Nwachukwu urged the court to discountenance the bail application.
Nwachukwu said that the law empowered prosecutors to bring defendants to a magistrate for remand.
He said that a court could not grant bail in a matter it had no jurisdiction.
In her ruling, Magistrate Chioke declined jurisdiction in the case and remanded the defendants in Enugu Prisons and urged the defense team to make application in the appropriate court.
The magistrate ordered the release of the four vehicles to their owners on bond and on the provision of proof of ownership and particulars.
“The charge the defendants are remanded for is treasonable but the prosecution did not list any exhibit of weapon of warfare against them.
“The only document against them before the court is the charge sheet. This looks to me like a trumped up charge,” Chioke said.
