Court Disbands Ebubeagu Security Outfit

A Federal High Court in Abakaliki has disbanded the South East Security network, codenamed Ebubeagu, in Ebonyi State.

It also ordered the Department of State Services and Police to collect all weapons in the possession of the group.

The presiding Judge, Justice Riman Fatun, in his ruling on Tuesday in Abakaliki, declared Ebubeagu’s activities illegal.

Fatun noted that the disbandment was due to the human rights abuses, extortions, illegal arrests and use of fire arms perpetuated by the body.

“I hereby declare the Ebubeagu outfit illegal and, therefore, it ceases to exist as Ebonyi State House of Assembly has no powers to approve their existence,” he stated.

The court in a suit by Abia Onyike, who is the plaintiff, ordered the Ebonyi State Government to pay Onyike the sum of N50 million as damages over his abduction and torture by the Ebubeagu Security Outfit in Abakaliki in November 2022.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Ebubeagu had on November 11, 2022 arrested and detained Onyike, Director of Media and Publicity, Ebonyi State Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Council for the forthcoming general election.

Michael Odo, Counsel to Onyike, told journalists that he approached the Court to seek for a determination on: “Whether the Ebonyi State House of Assembly has the constitutional powers to enact such Security Agency.

“I also approached the court to seek whether the arrest of the plaintiff on 9/11/2022 and detention and torture by operatives of the Ebubeagu Security Agency and/or Ebonyi State Ebubeagu Corps at the Old Government House , Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, are lawful.

“I am happy over the judgement and today, justice has been done to my client.”

The counsel to the state government could not be found to speak with reporters after the judgement.