Justice James Omotosho of the High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted 50 individuals, including four women, who were accused of being members of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and facing terrorism-related charges.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho ruled that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) failed to establish a case against the defendants.
The judge upheld a no-case submission filed by the defence, stating that the prosecution had not provided credible evidence linking the accused to the alleged offences. Consequently, he dismissed the three-count charge brought against them, which had been filed by the Inspector-General of Police.
The charge, dated 10 January and filed on 9 February, included allegations that, on or about 12 December 2023, at Umunze Village in Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, the defendants were intercepted and arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Anambra State Police Command, led by Collins Eruogwu, in collaboration with a local vigilante group.
The defendants were accused of gathering inside a 911 truck with registration number XA-139 BDN for a meeting purportedly connected to acts of terrorism.
It was further alleged that they were found in possession of 48 black caps, 25 red caps, and six orange caps, all bearing IPOB emblems, along with various charms believed to grant them “spiritual powers of disappearing” while engaging in their alleged terrorist activities.
The police also claimed that their assembly was aimed at promoting illegality to instil terror among the people of Anambra State, thereby constituting an offence under Section 12 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
