By Daniel Edu
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has achieved a significant legal victory for seven supporters of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who were reportedly arrested and unlawfully detained by various security agencies.
Nnamdi Kanu’s legal counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, revealed that the court not only acquitted the IPOB supporters but also ordered security agencies to pay N130 million in damages to the plaintiffs.
In a case marked ‘FHC/ABJ/CR/475/2021,’ Justice M.O. Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja cleared Maria Ezediaro of all the alleged criminal charges brought against her.
Ejiofor explained, “She was arrested on February 26, 2021, when she visited the State CID, Owerri, Imo State Command to provide food and medication to her detained friend. She was subsequently transferred to the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team detention facility in ‘Abattoir,’ Abuja, where she endured inhuman treatment, severe torture, and degradation.”
“However, as the police refused to release her or charge her to court, we filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit on her behalf before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Following our application, she was granted bail by the court on April 21, 2022, and subsequently released upon meeting the bail conditions.”
“On October 10, 2023, after our submissions before the court, the Federal High Court in Abuja, under Hon. Justice M.O. Olajuwon, dismissed the four counts of terrorism filed against Mrs. Maria Ezediaro and discharged her.”
Additionally, Justice V.S. Gaba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja acquitted Cletus Nwachukwu Egole, Pastor of the Holy Trinity Sabbath Church; his wife, Ifeyinwa Egole; a prophet of the Jewish Faith, Michael Uba; Ugochukwu Samuel; and Raphael Idang. The court also awarded them N100 million in compensatory damages against the police.
These individuals were arrested on March 21, 2021, by the Imo State Command of the Nigeria Police and subsequently transferred to the IGP Intelligence Response Team detention facility in ‘Abattoir,’ Abuja.
Justice Z.B. Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the release of Ngozichukwu Ada-Dav and awarded her N30 million in compensatory damages. Ada-Dav was arrested in June 2021 by a team of heavily armed operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and detained until July 3, 2021, when she was transferred to the Garki Command of the Nigeria Police, known as the Abattoir for its notoriety.
