Seven suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were on Monday remanded in Aba prison by a Magistrates Court sitting in Aba, Abia State for alleged murder and arson.
Their remand in the prison custody followed their arraignment on twelve counts charge bordering on the murder of an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Cyril Nwosu, and setting ablaze the Ariaria Police Station, alongside cars recovered as exhibit by the police.
The suspects are Chinonso Ude, Maduabuchi Echereodo, Ukochukwu Ikechukwu, Okechukwu Daniel, Okezie Jeremiah, Chizuruoke Nwanmuo and Ifeanyi Sunday.
In the charge, marked MAN/ 132/ C/2017 and MAN/ 133C/2017, presented before the court by the prosecuting counsel, ASP Nnamdi Ogbonna, the police alleged, “That you, Chinonso Ude, Maduabuchi Echereodo, Ukochukwu Ikechukwu, Okechukwu Daniel, Ifeanyi Sunday, Okezie Jeremiah, Chizuruoke Nwazuo and others now at large, did have in your possession or control offensive weapons as members of the IPOB which you used to terrorise the public and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 10(1)(a) of the Abia State Prohibition of Terrorism, Kidnapping, Hostage-taking, the use of offensive weapon or explosives and Other Threatening Behavior Law No. 10 of 2009.”
But counsel for the first, second and sixth defendants, Charles Onuchukwu, while applying for his clients’ bail, argued that the magistrates court did not have jurisdiction to entertain a case of murder, terrorism and kidnapping.
The prosecutor said the court equally lacked jurisdiction to make order on the matter.
After listening to the arguments of the counsel, the magistrate, Ogbonna Adiele, ordered that the accused persons should be remanded in the Aba prison.
Adiele, however, adjourned the case till September 27, 2017 for ruling.
