Nine suspected members of the
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been charged to court in Rivers
state with a host of criminal acts including treason, murder, and armed
robbery.
The suspects were dragged before the Chief Magistrate’s court sitting in Port Harcourt accused of alleged involvement in the killing of police officer, Sergeant Steven Daniel.
The
officer was killed at Oyigbo Junction in the state capital in what is
believed to be a reprisal attack following the reported attacks on
members of the separatist group by soldiers in Abia state.
Two other people reportedly died in the attack while the state’s Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed, confirmed that two other police officers were injured and a patrol vehicle burnt by the suspects.
The
nine suspects, alongside 21 other IPOB members facing trial for causing
unrest in the state, stood in front of presiding chief magistrate, Amadi O. Amadi-Nna, on Thursday, September 14, for remand proceedings.
In
two separate charge sheets, PMC/1936c/2017 and PMC/1935c/2017, they
were charged with treason, murder, armed robbery, felony, unlawful
assembly, and unlawful protest.
The
crimes the suspects are charged with are violations of Section 69,
Section 70, and Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Justice Law in
Rivers state.
However, the defendants were not read the charges against them or requested to enter their pleas after defence counsel, Donald Loho, argued that the court didn’t have jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Amadi-Nna
ordered the court registrar to remit the case files to the Director of
Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice and adjourned the case till
an indefinite date.