Biafra: How Arrested Biafra Activists Were Arraigned In Nigeria Court For Supporting Donald Trump
By Egwuatu Chukz
For Family Writers.
It was a all drama on 23rd of January 2017 at the Port-harcourt magistrate court as scores of Biafrans stormed the court premises to witness the trial of their comrades who were arrested for embarking on a peaceful rally in solidarity with Donald Trump's inauguration as the new American president.
We arrived at the court premises as the police and prosecutors kept us waiting for our people to be brought to the court for the trial. IPOB lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor was also available waiting for the arrested activists to arrived, and which later turned out to be that the police (prosecutor) wanted to deny our people appearance in court.
However, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor addressed the media, saying that he will make sure that the court holds. At that, we all kept waiting hopefully that the court must hold as Barrister Ejiofor was busy pressurizing the people in charge of the matter to bring the activists to court, of which finally they were brought to court at around 3:45 pm in the afternoon.
At the arrival of the arrested activists, the Nigerian security agents came up with another aggressive mode of embarrassing and denying our people from staying close to the court premises in order prevent us from knowing the actual faces and numbers of people that were brought. At this juncture, our barrister had an aggressive argument with the security agents, telling them that they have no right to prevent us from seeing the activists.
On getting to the Magistrate court room 8 block D, the accused people were shared into two sets of numbers where by 38 were arraigned down floor, while 7 were at the upper floor.
The court proceedings started with tensed arguments, as the prosecutor accused the IPOB, pro Trump activists of attempting to overthrow the government of Nigeria, and therefore they were charged for treasonable felony, but our defendants countered it by telling the court that it is never a crime to exercise ones right to self determination which is clearly stated in the United Nation charter on rights of Indigenous peoples.
After all the argument, the case was adjourned to 30th of January 2017 for bail hearing of the defendants, although the court had already acknowledged that it lacks the jurisdiction to entertain a case of such magnitude.
Meanwhile, Family Writers correspondents present in the court seized the opportunity to interview the arraigned activists.
We found out that over 65 of them were arrested and only 45 were brought to court for trial.
WATCH
It was also gathered that there are still some other people under DSS custody. The DSS arrested an IPOB member on 13th of January 2017 from Rumola Boricamp zone Igweocha for only printing Biafran flag and banner in preparation for the 20th Rally for Donald Trump. The young man's name is Udochukwu Nelson. The DSS has insisted they are not going to release him.
The coordinator Rumola Boricamp zone Igweocha also raised an alarm that another zonal member by name Bright Sunday Okoro was nowhere to be found since 20th of December 2017 Trump inauguration rally and also said it is no other agency other than the DSS that kidnapped him, because he's not among the dead bodies of the people killed.
In conclusion the court case ended at 5:30pm in the evening. Meanwhile, the remaining twenty people are expected to be arraigned on 24th of January 2017 at the State Magistrate court Port-harcourt.
Edited by Paul Ihechi Alagba
For Family Writers.
By Egwuatu Chukz
For Family Writers.
It was a all drama on 23rd of January 2017 at the Port-harcourt magistrate court as scores of Biafrans stormed the court premises to witness the trial of their comrades who were arrested for embarking on a peaceful rally in solidarity with Donald Trump's inauguration as the new American president.
We arrived at the court premises as the police and prosecutors kept us waiting for our people to be brought to the court for the trial. IPOB lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor was also available waiting for the arrested activists to arrived, and which later turned out to be that the police (prosecutor) wanted to deny our people appearance in court.
However, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor addressed the media, saying that he will make sure that the court holds. At that, we all kept waiting hopefully that the court must hold as Barrister Ejiofor was busy pressurizing the people in charge of the matter to bring the activists to court, of which finally they were brought to court at around 3:45 pm in the afternoon.
At the arrival of the arrested activists, the Nigerian security agents came up with another aggressive mode of embarrassing and denying our people from staying close to the court premises in order prevent us from knowing the actual faces and numbers of people that were brought. At this juncture, our barrister had an aggressive argument with the security agents, telling them that they have no right to prevent us from seeing the activists.
On getting to the Magistrate court room 8 block D, the accused people were shared into two sets of numbers where by 38 were arraigned down floor, while 7 were at the upper floor.
The court proceedings started with tensed arguments, as the prosecutor accused the IPOB, pro Trump activists of attempting to overthrow the government of Nigeria, and therefore they were charged for treasonable felony, but our defendants countered it by telling the court that it is never a crime to exercise ones right to self determination which is clearly stated in the United Nation charter on rights of Indigenous peoples.
After all the argument, the case was adjourned to 30th of January 2017 for bail hearing of the defendants, although the court had already acknowledged that it lacks the jurisdiction to entertain a case of such magnitude.
Meanwhile, Family Writers correspondents present in the court seized the opportunity to interview the arraigned activists.
We found out that over 65 of them were arrested and only 45 were brought to court for trial.
WATCH
It was also gathered that there are still some other people under DSS custody. The DSS arrested an IPOB member on 13th of January 2017 from Rumola Boricamp zone Igweocha for only printing Biafran flag and banner in preparation for the 20th Rally for Donald Trump. The young man's name is Udochukwu Nelson. The DSS has insisted they are not going to release him.
The coordinator Rumola Boricamp zone Igweocha also raised an alarm that another zonal member by name Bright Sunday Okoro was nowhere to be found since 20th of December 2017 Trump inauguration rally and also said it is no other agency other than the DSS that kidnapped him, because he's not among the dead bodies of the people killed.
In conclusion the court case ended at 5:30pm in the evening. Meanwhile, the remaining twenty people are expected to be arraigned on 24th of January 2017 at the State Magistrate court Port-harcourt.
Edited by Paul Ihechi Alagba
For Family Writers.
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