Judge orders speedy trial of 20 pro-Biafra agitators, as FG replies Bilie Human Rights Initiative for IPOB case before Owerri Federal High Court

Justice Uche Agomuo has charged the police authorities to ensure the speedy trial of 20 pro-Biafra agitators arrested during a protest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The judge who decried the shoddy manner the police was handling the accused persons’ bail application said their continued detention without bail was improper.
After listening to the arguments of the prosecution and the accused lawyers, Justice Agomou said that bail is a constitutional right of any accused person whether criminal or civil.
He advised the prosecution to swiftly handle the matter in the same way they arrested the accused.
“You cannot get justice by keeping the accused persons in detention. When you got these large numbers swiftly arrested for crime, you should also swiftly prosecute the matter,” Agomou said.
He therefore adjourned till Friday, for ruling on the bail applications.
The pro-Biafra agitators are on trial for alleged conspiracy and treasonable felony, before the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, and suf-fered a setback as the police op¬posed their bail applications.
The case is being prosecuted by the Inspector-General of Po¬lice (IGP) against Benson Sun¬day and 19 others.
At the court proceedings, the prosecution and accused lawyers were engaged in a heated debate on the propriety or otherwise of the bail applications.
The prosecution urged the court to disregard the bail applications because the pro-Biafra agitators would jump bail if allowed to go home.
The police prosecutor also told the court that the Nigeria Police have enough evidence and promised to present three witnesses as filed by the Investi¬gative Police Officer (IPO) when the trial proper commences.
The counsel in their joint arguments orally sought for the consolidation of the bail applications for accelerated hearing.
Meanwhile, counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said that the federal government has denied ever sending police the group’s members at its Owerri office.
In a statement yesterday, Mr. Emeka Emekesri of Mekadolf Chambers and IPOB solicitor claimed the government as the defendants on the case made its reply and denial through a counter affidavit dated January 15, 2015.
He said the affidavit was served by the government’s lawyer, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN).
It read thus: “We hereby in¬form our clients that the defend¬ants have replied to the claim¬ants’ motion on notice and denied every allegation of sending their policemen to arrest the claimants’ officers from the office of Indigenous People of Biafra at 92, Wetheral Road, Owerri.
“In a nutshell, they said that they did not send any policeman to arrest the claimants. The defendants made their reply and denial by a counter affidavit dated 15th January, 2015 served by their solicitors, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN) & Partners, on the claimants’ solicitors, Mekadolf Chambers.
“We cannot comment on the merits of the motion on notice and the counter affidavit because the matter is subjudice. We can only inform our clients that the defendants have replied and denied the allegation that they sent their policemen to the office of Indigenous People of Biafra at 92, Wetheral Road, Owerri and arrested the Claimants’ officers.
“It is the duty of the Judge to decide who is telling the truth. Nobody has the right to comment on the merits of an issue that is pending in court until the court decides it.
“As both parties have joined issues on the motion on notice, their lawyers will present their legal arguments on the next adjourned date being 30th March, 2016,” he said.
The AUTHORITY recalls that IPOB through its solicitors dragged the federal government to a Federal High Court in Owerri, through Bilie Human Rights Initiative.