36 Pro-Biafra Activists Acquitted by Ebonyi State High Court After Over Four Years in Detention.
An Ebonyi State High Court has discharged and acquitted 36 Pro-Biafra activists, who spent over four years in detention. The announcement was made by Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lead counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), during a press briefing in Owerri on Friday, September 27.
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The activists, all from Ebonyi State, were initially arrested in 2020 and charged with murder. However, the prosecution consistently failed to present sufficient evidence throughout the trial. Following a “No Case Submission,” the court dismissed the murder charges on September 27, 2022. Despite this acquittal, the activists faced re-arrest under new charges, including unlawful possession of firearms and robbery.
Ejiofor noted that the court had discharged the activists again on December 22, 2023, yet prison officials continued to hold them. He condemned this situation as a blatant disregard for judicial authority.
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Even after another acquittal on September 27, 2024, officials cited a new charge before the Ikwo High Court as justification for their ongoing detention.
“This is a mockery of the judicial process,” Ejiofor lamented, calling on Ebonyi State Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to intervene. He expressed concern that such actions could tarnish the state’s reputation on the international stage and urged for the immediate release of the activists to uphold justice and human rights.
