By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Justice Yetunde Adesanya of a Lagos High Court sitting at Ikeja has fixed Friday to rule on the bail application filed by Chief Frederick Nwajagu, Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, who has been in detention since early April due to issues relating to the 2023 general elections.
The bail application was filed and argued by Mr Emeka Etiaba (SAN) and a human rights activist, Mr Chino Obiagwu (SAN) on behalf of Nwajagu.
Nwajagu was arrested following a midnight raid on his Lagos residence by operatives of the Nigeria Police and Department of State Services (DSS) over an alleged threat to invite Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to protect Igbos living in Lagos from political assaults and electoral violence arising from the 2023 Elections.
He was arraigned on April 5, 2023, before a Magistrate’s court on two counts of conspiracy and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
He had pleaded: “Not Guilty” to the charge but was remanded in prison custody since then.
Following attacks, especially on non-indigenes during the Lagos State gubernatorial election, Nwajagu was reported to have said in a viral video: “We must have our own security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.
“When they discover that we have our own security before they come, they will know that we have our own men there.”
The attacks prompted former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mr. Olumide Akpata to write an article on his experience during the elections titled, “We are all Igbo.”
Nwajagu was re-arraigned before Justice Adesanya on May 9, 2023, on nine counts bordering on “an attempt to commit acts of terrorism, participating in terrorism and meeting to support a proscribed entity, attempt to finance an act of terrorism, and preparation to commit an act of terrorism.”
The prosecution counsel, Mr. Jonathan Ogunsanya, told the court that the offences contravened Section 403(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 as well as Sections 12(a)(c), 18, 21 and 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Nwajagu had also pleaded “Not Guilty” to the charges and was again remanded in prison custody by the court.
At the last adjourned date, Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Babajide Martins, told the court that he had additional witnesses for the case. He also told the court that he had served some documents on the defence.
Responding, Obiagwu told the court that he was only served with the documents that morning and had not reviewed them.
The matter was earlier adjourned to today for continuation of trial.