Abia court grants 8 Jewish worshipers N1 million bail
- Two high courts sitting in Umuahia, Abia have granted bail to eight Judaism worshipers
- Six of the accused were granted bail in the sum of N1 million each
- The worshipers were arrested last month at the Afaraukwu, Umuahia home of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed IPOB
Eight of nine Judaism worshipers arrested last month at the Afaraukwu, Umuahia home of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) where they claimed to be holding a prayer session have been granted bail by two high courts sitting in Umuahia, Abia state, Vanguard reports.
Legit.ng gathered that 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.
The presiding magistrate, 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.
Ugwu 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.
READ ALSO: Photos of former governor sentenced to 14 years imprisonment crying in court
Six of the accused were arraigned before Justice Onuoha Ogwe, of the high court 1, the acting chief Judge of Abia state, 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.
One of the suspects was however, not granted bail as the prosecution officer claimed that his file has “gone missing”. But their lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, said he would get to the root of the alleged missing file and ensure that the suspect also got bail.
However, Ejimakor, expressed happiness that the suspects were able to get justice at last after one month detention. He expressed concern over the stringent bail conditions stipulated by court 1.
According to him, he would initiate “fait inquiry” to find out why the file of one of the accused suddenly went missing.
Ejimokor while maintaining that the accused persons are not terrorists as claimed by the police, disagreed with the terrorism charge clamped against the suspects, saying the trial was “a religious persecution against the accused.”
PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
In a previous report by Legit.ng, a Federal High Court siting in Abuja had adjourned to Wednesday, February 28, for three sureties to leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to either produce him in court or show cause why each of them should not forfeit his N100 million bail bond.
The court had at the last proceedings on December 5, 2017, adjourned to Tuesday, February 20, for the sureties to explain why Kanu suddenly stopped attending court and account for his whereabouts.
Check out what Nnamdi Kanu's lawyer said about military exercise in the southeast - on Legit.ng TV
Source: Legit.ng
