Court remands 20 IPOB members over alleged unlawful assembly
Twenty members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, have been remanded in prison custody.
Order for their remand was given by an Enugu East Magistrates Court following their arraignment by the police.
They were docked over alleged Conspiracy and Treasonable Offence on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, before the court presided over by Arinze. I. Juliet.
The Police Prosecutor, Mr. Ikechi Ebere told the Court that they breached public peace in the Emene area of the state.
He said some of the accused persons were at large.
They include: Nkemka John, Ndidi Okafor and Anakwe Lawrence Chukwudi.
Some of the charges read: “That you ANAKWE LAWRENCE CHUKWUDI, Male, and a native of Emene in Enugu State, (now at large) on or about 24th July, 2019 at Emene village within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an offence to wit : by belonging to the Proscribed terrorist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and in addition organised a secessionist meeting to secede from Nigeria thereby threatening the Corporate existence and the image of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(14c)(1) and punishable under Section 18(1)(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2010 as applicable in Enugu State “
“That you ANAKWE LAWRENCE CHUKWUDI (now at large) and 20 others on the same date conspired among yourselves to commit felony by holding an UNLAWFUL Assembly at Emene Village where new terrorist members were inducted into the proscribed terrorist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an act of terrorism and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14(a)of the Terrorism (Prevention)Amendment Act 2010 as applicable in Enugu State “
The court issued a warrant of arrest against Anakwe Lawrence Chukwudi, who is said to be the Youth Leader of the group, as well as the other two suspects who are equally at large.
The Magistrate adjourned the case to 14th October, 2019 for further hearing.
Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, the Prosecutor said the arraignment was a fallout of the clash between the IPOB members and security agencies in Emene.
He said the IPOB members, who were holding an illegal assembly, resisted arrest when a combined team of security agencies swooped on them based on actionable intelligence.
“Twenty of them were docked today, while three are at large. But the Court has issued a bench warrant against them.
“We shall make all efforts to get them and make them face trial,” the prosecutor said.
