Native Reporters

An Enugu East Magistrates Court presided by Magistrate A. N. Chioke has remanded 140 members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) over an alleged treason.

The defendants, who were brought to the court in three 608 buses and one 18-seater bus, were said to have conspired 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.

When the charge was read, the defendants pleaded not guilty.


One of the defense counsels, Osita Abalu, applied for their bail on the grounds that there was no evidence to back up the charge.

Mr Abalu said the prosecution had failed to provide probable cause why the defendants should be remanded in court in line with Sect. 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.

Mr Abalu said 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 the burial.

Counsel to the 107 defendants, F.C. Okeke, told the court that it was ridiculous for the prosecution to claim that the defendants attempted to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Okeke said 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.

Mr Okeke said 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.

Mr Okeke urged the court to grant them bail in the most lenient means.

However, the prosecution counsel, Paschal Nwachukwu, urged the court to discountenance the bail application.

Mr Nwachukwu said the law empowered prosecutors to bring defendants to a magistrate for remand.

He said a court could not grant bail in a matter it had no jurisdiction.

In her ruling, Mrs 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,” Mrs Chioke said.


http://www.nativereporters.com/140-ipob-members-detained-for-allegedly-plotting-to-overthrow-buhari/

What's our problem in this country now

This is one of the reasons Nigeria has become a laughing stock

They should write a letter to Nnamdi Kanu in London.



I have a paper... who has a pen?

hmmmmmm ....... which way..... i am from the middle belt but i will go with this biafra if the eventually secede..... aboki will be our undoing.........

Y NOT THE ENTIRE SE DETAINED.


NIGERIA IS ALREADY DEAD. WEN PEOPLE ARE TIRED, THEY ARE TIRED.

That is very commendable from the security agencies, under the leadership of President BUHARI no time for lawlessness in Nigeria. 38 years in kirikiri prison without option

150 squads should shoot them all since they are terrorists.

BuhariAdvocate:
150 squads should shoot them all since they are terrorists.

U KNOW, U CANNOT TRY THAT RIGHT?


DEM NEVER BORN UR PAPA

This is the work of the useless polices
They always look for who to arrest for them to get promotion

The charges are completely baseless. Why couldn't they have been charged with belonging to an unlawful group (at least IPOB has been proscribed)?

What's your problem Nigga stop harboring terrorists Because you maybe be their victim one day.

hammer6F:



U KNOW, U CANNOT TRY THAT RIGHT?


DEM NEVER BORN UR PAPA

Abkreizi:
hmmmmmm ....... which way..... i am from the middle belt but i will go with this biafra if the eventually secede..... aboki will be our undoing.........

Hehehehehehehehehe

BuhariAdvocate:
What's your problem Nigga stop harboring terrorists Because you maybe be their victim one day.

U KNOW U CANNOT DO SHIT RIGHT?

THE MATCH FOR BIAFRA CONTINUES.

Daviddson:
The charges are completely baseless. Why couldn't they have been charged with belonging to an unlawful group (at least IPOB has been proscribed)?

Because they have been proscribed them that's why court couldn't release them even despite that they are not carry weapon. But they identified them as a terrorist group.

BuhariAdvocate:
Because they have been proscribed them that's why court couldn't release them even despite that they are not carry weapon. But they identified them as a terrorist group.

IS THAT WAT U TELL URSELF?


THE BRITISH PUT US IN A COUNTRY WITH MENTALLY UNSTABLE NEGRO?

hammer6F:



THE ONLY THING, IGBO HAVE AMOUNTED TO IN NIGERIA IS A DISGRACE.


I FOREVER CURSE THE BRITISH FOR DESTROYING THE GREAT IGBO AND TAKING AWAY OUR PRIDE AND DIGNITY.

I'm with you on this!

This journey Ndigbo have made with 'one Nigeria' has been our biggest mistake....ever! We're in a country surrounded by a jealous, evil and scheming lot who only measure their success based on how they they think they've managed to be better than the Igbos or how successful they've been in holding us down, cheating us and coveting our wealth to better their region and peoples in the name of 'one Nigeria'!

I feel Zik should shoulder a large part of the blame for this misadventure. He knew the kind of people we were getting into bed with but the idealist in him thought any challenges could be overcome and that they'd grow to 'love' and 'trust' us!

Xander85:


I'm with you on this!

This journey Ndigbo have made with 'one Nigeria' has been our biggest mistake....ever! We're in a country surrounded by a jealous, evil and scheming lot who only measure their success based on how they they think they've managed to be better than the Igbos or how successful they've been in holding us down, cheating us and coveting our wealth to better their region and peoples in the name of 'one Nigeria'!

I feel Zik should shoulder a large part of the blame for this misadventure. He knew the kind of people we were getting into bed with but the idealist in him thought all an challenges could be overcome and that they'd grow to 'love' and 'trust' us!

IT IS ABOUT TO GET WORST.

ISLAM IS COMING BRO.

THE FULANI U SEE, NNAMDI KANU WARNED ABOUT.

NOW, OBJ AND EVEN WOLE SOYINKA HAVE SEEN IT.

WE ARE IN VERY SERIOUS TROUBLE AND WE NEED TO LEAVE AND LEAVE NOW.

FORGET LAGOS AND ABUJA, THEY ARE RUBBISH, WE GO HOME AND BUILD OUR NATION.

THIS PEOPLE WILL LEARN THAT REAL IGBO'S ARE FED UP OF NIGERIA.


WE DONT CARE, ALL WE WANT IS BIAFRA.



THIS IS NOT A JOKE AND WE ARE NOT PLAYING.


THIS IS VERY SERIOUS.

you at your father house you're saying this .

hammer6F:


CALL DEM, I DONT CARE.


ARREST US, SHOOT US, KILL US.


THE TRUTH WILL STILL RISE EVERYDAY WITH THE SUN.


OR ARE U NO LONGER A MOD?

BuhariAdvocate:
you at your father house you're saying this .

I AM NOT PLAYING WITH U HERE.


I AM VERY SERIOUS, UNA DON TIRE US.

BuhariAdvocate:
you at your father house you're saying this .

U CRY ABOUT LAGOS, WE OFFER U LAGOS.


U STILL WANT SAME COUNTRY WITH US.




DO U PEOPLE EVER ACTUALLY LISTEN TO URSELF SPEAK?

The charges hold no water, even the Magistrate Mrs Chioke's last comment cleared it all "'The only document against them before the court is charge sheet, this look to me like a trumped up charge." I

Its just out of wickedness, to show Buhari that they are working.
How can they take innocent people to a court they know that it has no jurisdiction over the offence they are charging them for.
They will later send them to a high court where they will be granted bail.

Harassment, intimidation, kidnapping & killing can't stop the struggle.
The struggle continues.
#May30sit@home.

BuhariAdvocate:
150 squads should shoot them all since they are terrorists.

Idiot.
Useless blood drinker like your father buhari

Lol thisnaint news..Even 14million Ipob can't try that.We pay your Chinese suppliers rmb

They said IPOB want to overthrow Buhari
They said Atiku, PDP want to overthrow Buhari
Very soon Nigeria will overthrow Buhari