20 Pro-Biafra Separatists May Be Sentenced to Death by Hanging in Rivers

The situation has become intense for a few individuals from the Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra (IPOB) as around 20 supporters of the group facing trial under the steady gaze of a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, were yesterday denied bail by the court. The blamed persons were accused of conspiracy and treason, subsequent protesting recently in Port Harcourt, in solidarity with the Director of Pirate Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who was captured by security agents.

In his ruling, the trial Chief Magistrate, Andrew Jaja, expressed that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter based on Section 118 of the Criminal Code. Jaja said the accused persons, who conferred crime, would be sentenced to death, if found guilty and referred their case to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice. He further decided that the charged persons ought to be remanded in the jail custody pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and adjourned the case till November 26 for notice.