Four pro-Biafra agitators – Bright Chimezie, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi were, on Monday, granted ‎bail to the sum of N40 million by a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja.

They were charged for treasonable felony alongside the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nmandi Kanu, now ‎at large.

Justice Binta Nyako who admitted them to bail also directed that they should produce two sureties in the like sum.

‎The Judge further directed that the money should be deposited in cash to the Chief Registrar of the Court.

Besides, the Judge ordered the defendants to surrender all their travelling documents and not travel without leave of the court.

The sureties were to swear an affidavit of means.

On the part pro- Biafrians agitators, they were barred by the court from attending any form of rally, press conference or granting interviews.

Before Monday’s ruling, the court had earlier denied the defendants bail.

Justice Nyako said her decision was reached after reviewing her previous ruling, the nature of the charge as well as the prescribed punishment for offence the defendants allegedly committed.

The Judge observed that although the offence attracts a maximum of seven years upon conviction, “the defendants have already spent better part of the years in prison custody.”

She ruled that she took into cognizance, various affidavits that urged the court to release the defendants on health ground and also bearing in mind, a high court ruling that previously gave bail to the 1st defendant, Chimezie. Nevertheless, the court held that the 1st defendant must report to the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State every two weeks.

While the 2nd and 4th defendants were ordered to report to the CP in Enugu, the 3rd defendant was directed to report to the CP in Anambra State every two weeks.

They were arraigned on a three-count amended charge bordering on treasonable felony.

Justice Binta Nyako had on February 20, granted their application for their separate trial following the inability of both the prosecution and the defence lawyers to produce the IPOB leader whose whereabouts has remained unknown since September last year.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, FG, alleged that the four defendants, alongside Kanu (now at large) and others at large, “on diverse dates in 2014 and 2015 in Nigeria and London, United Kingdom, did conspire amongst yourselves to broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu and other areas within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, preparations being made by you and others at large, for states in the South-East and South-South zones and other communities in Kogi and Benue States to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a view to constituting same into a Republic of Biafra and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004”.

In count-two of the charge dated March 16, the Federal Government alleged that Chimezie and Kanu had, between the months of March and April 2015, imported into Nigeria and kept in Ubuluisiuzor in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, a Radio transmitter known as TRAM 50L, which they concealed in a container that was declared as used household items, contrary to section 47(2) (a) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The Federal Government also alleged in count-three that Madubugwu had, sometime in the month of October 2015, been in possession at his house in Ubuluisiuzor in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, one Emerald Magnum Pump Action Gun with Serial Number TS 870-113-0046 and one Delta Magnum Pump Action Gun with Serial Number 501, as well as forty-one cartridges/ammunition without lawful authority or licence and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 27(b) (i) of the Firearms Act, Cap. F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. (NAN)

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