Nigerian Government fails to arraign Ben Onwuka and other Biafra Zionist Movement members in Enugu

Nigerian Government fails to arraign Ben Onwuka and other Biafra Zionist Movement members in Enugu

The Nigerian Government on Thursday failed to arraign 12 members of the Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF). who were charged with treason before the Federal High Court, Enugu.

The arrested freedom fighters include the leader of the BZF, Benjamin Onwuka; Kelvin Eke, Samson Ijaga, Uduma Uduma, Bethrain Obiekwe, Abraham Ugwu, Paulinus Uzoegbu, Fidelis Nwaano, Nnamchi Ndubuisi, Michael Olennya, Jeophet Nwaodo and Aloysius Chukwuma.

The suspects were arrested after they allegedly invaded the studio of the Enugu State Broadcasting Service in an unsuccessful bid to declare the secession of the Republic of Biafra on June 5.

Two people were reported dead during the incident.

The Office of the Attorney General of the Nigerian Federation had filed charges against the accused persons on behalf of the Federal Government.

The freedom fighters were brought to Enugu from Abuja, where they had been detained without trial for over four months since their arrest. However, they were not produced in court for the scheduled arraignment.

The AGF, who filed the charge against the accused persons, was also not represented in court.

Addressing the court, counsel for the Zionists, Olu Omotayo, who is also the South-East Zonal Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation, expressed reservations at the absence of the AGF.

He said, “I am surprised that despite the fact that the AGF has filed a charge in this case, the accused persons have not been brought to court.

“They have not written to court about it. In this circumstance, we are asking for a very short date.

“On the next adjourned date, if they (Federal Government) fail to bring them (the alleged secessionists), we will ask that the matter be struck out.”

Omotayo accused the Federal Government of deliberately delaying the matter in order to frustrate a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the suspects.

“This is a ploy to frustrate our fundamental human rights matter. We are asking that they should be brought to court or they should be released but they now filed the charge to frustrate our matter that is coming up next week,” he added.

After hearing the submissions of the defence counsel, the presiding judge, Justice D. V. Agishi, adjourned the matter to November 19.

Speaking with journalists outside the courtroom, National Chairman of the BZF, Mr. Cyril Onyia, expressed concerns that the alleged secessionists had been in detention for over four months without trial.