The Police have charged seven suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra for alleged murder and arson. They were arraigned at a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Aba, Abia State.
The suspects are Chinonso Ude, Maduabuchi Echereodo, Ukochukwu Ikechukwu, Okechukwu Daniel, Okezie Jeremiah , Chizuruoke Nwanmuo and Ifeanyi Sunday.
The court ordered their remand in the prison custody following 12 counts bordering on the murder of an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Cyril Nwosu, and setting ablaze the Ariaria Police Station, alongside cars recovered as exhibit by the police.
The suspects were also charged with theft of pump action rifles.
In the charge, marked MAN/ 132/ C/2017 and MAN/ 133C/2017, presented before the court by the prosecuting counsel, ASP Nnamdi Ogbonna, the police alleged, “That you, Chinonso Ude, Maduabuchi Echereodo, Ukochukwu Ikechukwu, Okechukwu Daniel, Ifeanyi Sunday, Okezie Jeremiah, Chizuruoke Nwazuo and others now at large, did have in your possession or control offensive weapons as members of the IPOB which you used to terrorise the public and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 10(1)(a) of the Abia State Prohibition of Terrorism, Kidnapping, Hostage-taking, the use of offensive weapon or explosives and Other Threatening Behavior Law No. 10 of 2009.”
Meanwhile counsel for the first, second and sixth defendants, Charles Onuchukwu, while applying for his clients’ bail, argued that the magistrates’ court did not have jurisdiction to entertain a case of murder, terrorism and kidnapping.
