Alleged Terrorism: Eze Ndigbo Counsel’s Absence Stalls Trial

THE adoption of written addresses in the trial of Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, Frederick Nwajagu, charged with terrorism offences, was on Tuesday stalled due to the absence of his counsel.

Nwajagu is standing trial before a Lagos High Court, at the Tafawa Balewa Square.

He is in court on nine counts bordering on attempt to commit acts of terrorism, financing terrorism, participating in terrorism and  meeting to support a proscribed entity.

When the case was called on Tuesday, the Director for Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, told the court that the defendant’s counsel, Mr Emefo Etudo, had called him on the phone and asked that the case be stood down.

According to him, the counsel was at an Ikeja court in another case.

However, a counsel from the same firm, Mr Fabian Onwughalu, told the court that the lead counsel was with the court processes.

He urged the court to adjourn  the case.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya, however, adjourned the case until May 9, for adoption of written addresses.

At the last proceeding, the defendant had said that he did not know there was a law prohibiting a person from mentioning the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The defendant denied ever referring to himself as a king but a leader to the Igbo-speaking people in Ajao Estate.

He said the video shown to the court where he was talking, was not the original video, but an edited one.

Nwajagu, however, noted that what he said in his house was an empty threat made to calm the Igbo down.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant had on July 25, 2023 applied for bail, citing his medical reports, adding that he was not a flight risk.

NAN reports that on July 28, 2023, the court had refused the bail application based on the seriousness of the offence and the severity of its punishment.

The Lagos State Government  had in a suit marked no: LD/21505C/2023, alleged that the defendant’s acts contravened the provisions of Section 403(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The state stated that the offences contravened Sections 12(a) (c), 18, 21 and 29   of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.

NAN reports that Nwajagu was arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services over an alleged threat to invite members of IPOB to Lagos to secure properties of the Igbo people in the state.