By Nwabueze Okonkwo
ONITSHA — An Ebonyi State High Court, on Thursday, discharged and acquitted the last batch of 24 Biafran freedom fighters who had been standing trial for conspiracy and treason since their arrest on May 24, 2020.
The presiding judge, Justice I.P. Chima, ruled in favour of a preliminary objection filed by the defence, which argued that the defendants had already been discharged and acquitted by other courts on similar charges and therefore could not be retried on the same facts.
The objection was anchored on Section 36(9) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which prohibits double jeopardy — a legal principle known as autrefois acquit, meaning no individual shall be tried again for an offence they have already been acquitted of.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Chima ordered the immediate release of the 24 detainees from custody, declaring their prolonged detention unconstitutional.
Lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who represented the defendants, welcomed the ruling with praise for the judiciary.
“This is a historic victory,” Ejiofor said. “These innocent citizens were kept in custody under recycled and repackaged allegations even after being discharged and acquitted by not less than five different High Courts in Ebonyi State.”
He commended Justice Chima for what he described as a “bold, fearless and intellectually profound” judgment, adding that it reaffirmed confidence in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.
Ejiofor further noted that efforts were already underway to ensure the immediate release of the detainees, and he expressed gratitude to the Ebonyi State Government’s legal team and the correctional authorities for pledging to comply fully with the court’s directive.
The lawyer also called on the state government to consider rehabilitation and compensation for the released individuals, citing the emotional and economic toll of their long incarceration on their families.
“Justice was delayed but not denied. Today marks the end of a painful four-year ordeal. The light of justice has finally pierced the clouds of oppression,” Ejiofor stated.
The release brings closure to a legal battle that has drawn attention from civil society and human rights observers concerned about prolonged detention and repeated charges on the same allegations.
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