Court Grants Bail To 100 Biafran Activists

After more than one month in
prison custody, an Enugu High Court on Tuesday granted bail to over 100 members
of a pro-Biafran movement, Biafran Zionist Movement (BZM) who were arrested on
November 5, 2012 for allegedly re-declaring the Republic of Biafra in Enugu.

Presiding Judge, Justice L. Okeke
granted the Biafran activists bail in the sum of N1, 000,000,(one million
naira) but the surety must be a civil servant above grade level 14, a member of
the National Assembly from the South East Zone or a member of the state House
of Assembly as well as a reputable traditional ruler.

Defence counsel to BZM, Barr. Okologu
Njoku had argued that his clients did not commit any crime against the state as
they were not caught with any weapon of destruction like gun, axe, club,
machete, among others, and for this reason, their action did not constitute
insurrection neither were they angling for war.

Speaking with newsmen after the court
ruling, the second in command to the detained BZM leader, Barr. Onwuka, alleged
that Nigeria did not deserve to be among the comity of nations where human
rights were being observed because, according to him, Nigeria violets human
rights of its citizens, hence their agitation for self-rule and autonomy.

“We were intimidated, arrested and detained
because we aired our views. We said what we believed, we don’t believe in
Nigeria, we believe in Biafra. We are not hiding, we know definitely that one
day, Biafra will be actualised,” Comrade Edeson added.

It was observed that hundreds of men
and women stormed the court in solidarity with the detained BZM members who
they believed were fighting for the emancipation of the people of South -East.

It would be recalled that the group
under the aegis of Biafra Zionist Movement had converged on an open field in
Coal Camp area of Enugu, the capital city of Enugu State where their leader,
Mr. Ben Onwuka, addressed them on November 5, this year.

Policemen led by the Enugu Central
Police Station Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Ike Mba, arrested Onwuka and
members of his group, who displayed Biafran, American and Israeli flags shortly
after the address.

Meanwhile, as at the time of filing in
this report, the accused persons were yet to meet the bail conditions which
many described as very stringent.