The Ebonyi State High Court on Thursday discharged and acquitted 24 alleged members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) detained since 2020.
The freed individuals were part of a group of 36 IPOB alleged supporters arrested on what lawyers described as “frivolous and recycled charges,” following their 2020 detention amid a crackdown on Biafra-related activism.
Human rights lawyer and IPOB counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, described the ruling as a “momentous chapter” for justice in the South East and across Nigeria.
He said, some of their wives were abandoned, children lost, and parents buried in sorrow, adding that “the joy of today will ripple far beyond the courtroom”.
“These innocent citizens had endured years of prolonged, unconstitutional detention under recycled and repackaged allegations, even after being severally discharged and acquitted by no fewer than five High Courts in Ebonyi State,” Ejiofor said in a statement.
The victory came after Ejiofor’s legal team raised a preliminary objection citing Section 36(9) of the 1999 Constitution, which protects against double jeopardy, meaning a person cannot be tried again for a charge on which they have already been acquitted.
“This sacred principle, autrefois acquit, has now been powerfully reaffirmed. No person shall be tried again for an offence in respect of which they have previously been acquitted,” he said.
Ejiofor commended the courage and legal brilliance of Justice I. P. Chima, who presided over the judgment, calling the ruling “bold, fearless, and intellectually profound.”
Ejiofor further urged the Ebonyi State Government to go beyond the judgement and consider rehabilitation and reparation for the freed men, many of whom lost productive years of their lives behind bars.
“We urge the relevant agencies of the Ebonyi State Government to urgently consider appropriate measures for rehabilitation and reparation of these victims, even without prompting,” he said.
Leave a Comment