Biafra Zionist Movement accuses trial judge of bias

 Biafra Zionist Movement accuses trial judge of bias

Leader of the Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM), Benjamin Onwuka, yester­day accused Federal High Court judge, Justice D. V. Agishi, sitting in Enugu of being biased just as he requested that the case against him be trans­ferred to another court.

Counsel to the accused persons, Olu Omotayo, also made an oral application to withdraw from further ap­pearances in the trial.

Onwuka and 11 other persons have been stand­ing trial over allegations that they invaded the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS), Enugu in June last year with the intent to de­clare the independent state of Biafra.

Addressing the court, Onwuka said: “Since No­vember 19 last year when this trial began, you have been biased in all your rul­ings. All your rulings have been in favour of the Feder­al Government. This is not a criminal trial; it is a political trial. The case has interna­tional ramifications and the world is watching.”

Justice Agishi had earlier ruled in favour of the pros­ecution to have two more witnesses testify in camera, declaring that only accred­ited members of the press would be allowed into the court in subsequent trials.

Prosecuting counsel, Da­vid Kaswe, from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation had in­formed the court before the ruling that he was dismayed at the pattern of reportage of the trial in the media and asked the judge to order journalists out.

He said reports in the media had embarrassed the office of the Attorney Gen­eral.

-Sun