After five months in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), the leader of the Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF, Barrister Benjamin Onwuka, has been arraigned before the Federal High Court, Owerri and remanded in prison custody.

It would be re-called that Onwuka, who was arrested in August after an encounter with security operatives, has been incommunicado ever since.

However, the deputy leader of the group, Mazi Ambrose Ugwu, told journalists in Enugu yesterday that Onwuka had been arraigned at the Federal High Court, Owerri by the DSS. Ugwu said: “I can confirm to you that our leader has finally been arraigned in court by the DSS.

“After keeping him away from us and other members of the public for over three months, they arraigned him at the Federal High Court, Owerri. The trial judge remanded him in prison on the premise that he may jump bail.”

While describing the latest development as unacceptable, he called on the Federal Government to order for the immediate release of Onwuka. Ugwu stated: “Our demand has not changed.

“The Biafra leader, Barrister Benjamin Onwuka, has not done anything to warrant his being incarcerated. This is nothing but oppression and suppression of our rights to freedom as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and other international treaties. He should be immediately released unconditionally because they have done more damage to his rights by keeping him incommunicado for over three months.

“The DSS had no right to have kept him for such long a time without charging him to court. Now that he has been arraigned, the claim of his jumping bail should not even arise at all. We call on Muhammadu Buhari’s government to free our leader immediately without any condition attached.”

•Sourced from a New Telegraph report