Ebonyi Court Frees 36 Pro-Biafrans After Four Years in Detention

The Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Abakaliki has discharged and acquitted 36 pro-Biafrans who have been detained for over four years. The defendants, all indigenes of Ebonyi State, were initially arrested in 2020 on charges ranging from murder to armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms.

The lead counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, revealed the ruling during a briefing in Owerri on Friday, expressing frustration over the repeated detentions despite the multiple court rulings in favor of the accused. According to Ejiofor, the group had previously been discharged on three occasions, yet were rearrested and recharged with new allegations each time.

Ejiofor detailed the legal battle, citing that the defendants were first acquitted in September 2022 after the prosecution failed to prove charges of murder. However, they were rearrested and faced fresh charges, including unlawful association, arson, robbery, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace. In December 2023, the court once again ruled in favor of the defendants, but they were still not released.

The latest ruling, delivered on September 27, 2024, by Justice Chris Ezeh, marked the third time the defendants were acquitted. Despite the court’s decision, prison officials have refused to release the group, citing another pending charge in a different court.

Ejiofor condemned the continued detention, calling it a “mockery of judicial process” and a violation of the rights of the accused. He appealed to the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, to intervene and stop what he described as an abuse of the legal system.

He further thanked his legal team for their efforts in securing the acquittals and expressed hope that the state government would address the situation swiftly.