On Thursday, the Ebonyi State High Court mandated the release of 12 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who had been incarcerated since May 24, 2021.
Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lawyer representing IPOB, disclosed this information in a statement released following the court’s decision, stating that the individuals freed are part of a larger group of 36 IPOB supporters arrested nearly four years ago.
Ejiofor pointed out that despite numerous court rulings over the years that discharged and acquitted them of all charges, the detainees had remained in custody until the ruling on Thursday.
The decision came after a formal application was submitted by the Ebonyi State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
He mentioned that the DPP acknowledged the series of judicial decisions and formally withdrew the most recent charges against the 12 detainees, which effectively concluded their protracted incarceration.
According to Ejiofor, the court’s directive was executed promptly, and the individuals were released in compliance with the ruling.
“It marked a long-overdue respect for the rule of law and a reaffirmation of their innocence, which courts had upheld time and again,” he remarked.
Ejiofor further emphasised that the legal team remains dedicated to securing the release of the remaining IPOB members, who, he asserted, have also been acquitted by no fewer than four separate High Courts in Ebonyi State.
“Their release is no longer a matter of if but when, and that moment draws closer by the day,” he concluded.
