Continued detention without trial of pro-Biafran group, Zionist Federation Movement is now being challenged by the Civil Liberties Organisation. CLO has dragged the Inspector- General of police, Suleiman Abba, to court over the matter.
CLO, filed the suit on behalf of the Biafra activists at a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu.
The continued detention according to the rights group is a flagrant violation of the Zionists fundamental rights guaranteed under sections 34, 35 and 36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
CLO said it also violates Articles 5, 6 & 7, of the African Charter on Human & Peoples Rights, (Ratification and Enforcement Act) Cap. A9 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and is therefore illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.
The organization is equally seeking “An order of the Honorable Court releasing the Applicants forthwith from unlawful detention.
“Alternatively, AN ORDER of the Honorable Court Directing the Respondents to charge the Applicants to Court forthwith for whatever offence they might have committed.
CLO is asking the court to award a N10m damages against the police.
South-East Coordinator of the CLO, Olu Omotayo, who filed the suit on behalf of the applicants, stated that the organization’s argument before the court in support of the action is that “the Applicants were arrested and subjected to torture by the Police and are still being incarcerated without trial at the Police headquarters, Abuja.
A member of the movement who deposed to the affidavit in support of the suit, Ambrose Ugwu maintained that the applicants are members of “Biafra Zionist Federation” (BZF), a peaceful movement for the liberation of the entire Biafra people of former Eastern region of Nigeria.
HOMELAND NEWS recalls that on the 5th of June, some members of the Biafra Zionist Federation were arrested in Enugu for allegedly attempting to take over operations at the Enugu State Broadcasting Service for the purpose of making a broadcast.
Those arrested and detained by the Police are, Benjamin Onwuka, (leader of the movement), Kelvin Eke, Saamson Ijaga, Uduma Uduma, Bethran Obiekwe, Abraham Ugwu, Paulinus Uzoegbu, Fidelis Nwaonu, Nnamchi Ndubuisi, Michael Olenya, Josephat Nwaodo and Alloysius Chukwuma.
