Court grants Onwuka, 100 pro-Biafra group members bail
AN Enugu High Court, Tuesday, granted bail to leader of the pro-Biafran movement, Biafran Zionist Movement (BZM), Mr. Benjamin Onwuka, and 100 members of the group who were arrested by the police on November 5, 2012, after re-declaring the Republic of Biafra in Enugu.
Presiding Judge, Justice L. Okereke granted the Biafran activists bail in the sum of N1,000,000,(one million naira) with a surety who must be a civil servant above grade level 14, a member of the National Assembly from the South East Zone or a member of the State House of Assembly as well as a reputable traditional ruler.
Defence counsel to BZM, Okologu Njoku, had while moving the bail application, told the court that his clients did not commit any crime against the state as they were not caught with any weapon of destruction as gun, axe, club, machete, etc.
Onwuka and his supporters were arraigned before an Enugu Magistrate Court on November 5 on a one count-charge of attempting to wage war against the state and were subsequently remanded in Enugu Prison since the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Speaking with newsmen after the court ruling, the second in command to the detained BZM leader, Mr. Samuel Edeson pointed out that Nigeria did not deserve to be among the comity of nations where human rights are being observed because, according to him, Nigeria violate human rights of its citizens, hence their agitation for self-rule and autonomy.
“We were intimidated, arrested and detained because we aired our views. We said what we believed; we don’t believe in Nigeria, we believe in Biafra. We are not hiding, we know definitely that one day, Biafra will be actualized,” Comrade Edeson states.”
Hundreds of men and women believed to be supporters of the detained pro-Biafra members stormed the court in solidarity with the activists who they said were fighting for the emancipation of the people of South East.
It would be recalled that the group under the aegis of Biafra Zionist Movement had converged on an open field in Coal Camp area of Enugu where their leader, Mr. Ben Onwuka, addressed them on November 5.
Policemen led by the Enugu Central Police Station Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Ike Mba, arrested Onwuka and members of his group, who displayed Biafran, American and Israeli flags during a procession that preceded the re-declaration of Biafra Republic.
SOURCE: VANGUARD
Presiding Judge, Justice L. Okereke granted the Biafran activists bail in the sum of N1,000,000,(one million naira) with a surety who must be a civil servant above grade level 14, a member of the National Assembly from the South East Zone or a member of the State House of Assembly as well as a reputable traditional ruler.
Defence counsel to BZM, Okologu Njoku, had while moving the bail application, told the court that his clients did not commit any crime against the state as they were not caught with any weapon of destruction as gun, axe, club, machete, etc.
Onwuka and his supporters were arraigned before an Enugu Magistrate Court on November 5 on a one count-charge of attempting to wage war against the state and were subsequently remanded in Enugu Prison since the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Speaking with newsmen after the court ruling, the second in command to the detained BZM leader, Mr. Samuel Edeson pointed out that Nigeria did not deserve to be among the comity of nations where human rights are being observed because, according to him, Nigeria violate human rights of its citizens, hence their agitation for self-rule and autonomy.
“We were intimidated, arrested and detained because we aired our views. We said what we believed; we don’t believe in Nigeria, we believe in Biafra. We are not hiding, we know definitely that one day, Biafra will be actualized,” Comrade Edeson states.”
Hundreds of men and women believed to be supporters of the detained pro-Biafra members stormed the court in solidarity with the activists who they said were fighting for the emancipation of the people of South East.
It would be recalled that the group under the aegis of Biafra Zionist Movement had converged on an open field in Coal Camp area of Enugu where their leader, Mr. Ben Onwuka, addressed them on November 5.
Policemen led by the Enugu Central Police Station Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Ike Mba, arrested Onwuka and members of his group, who displayed Biafran, American and Israeli flags during a procession that preceded the re-declaration of Biafra Republic.
SOURCE: VANGUARD
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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