Yesterday, eight Jewish worshippers arrested at the Afaraukwu, Umuahia home of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, where they claimed to be holding a prayer session – were remanded in prison after two High Courts sitting in Umuahia, Abia State, granted them bail.
They were remanded in prison pending perfection of their bail conditions.
They were arrested on May 13, 2018, and were remanded at the Afara Prison after their arraignment at the Magistrate Court on May 14, where they were charged for terrorism.
Presiding Magistrate, Mr. O. U Ugwu, had ordered that they be remanded in prison custody pending their arraignment in High Court because the magistrate could not entertain terrorism matters.
The Chief Magistrate had expressed displeasure with the police for charging the accused before a magistrate court when they were aware that the court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain such a matter.
Six of the accused were arraigned before the Acting Chief Judge of Abia state, Justice Onuoha Ogwe of the High Court 1, who granted them bail in the sum of N1 million each.
Three other suspects were arraigned before Justice O. A Chijioke of High Court 3, who granted two of them bail in the sum of N200,000 each, and said that their surety must have verifiable residence and should also deposit two copies of his recent photographs with the court.However, one of the suspects was not granted bail as the prosecution officer claimed that his file has “gone missing”.
But their lawyer, Mr. Alloy Ejimakor, said he would get to the root of the alleged missing file and ensure that the suspect also got bail.
