Forty-four pro Biafra supporters who were arrested in connection with a protest by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in Port Harcourt have been remanded in prison by a Magistrate Court in Rivers state, Daily Post reports.
They were part of hundreds who marched to show solidarity for the Biafran Radio Director, Nnamdi Kanu who was arrested by the Department of State Services when he returned from the United Kingdom on Saturday, October 17.
Last week, Biafra supporters staged mass protests in Rivers and Delta states.They took to the streets of Port Harcourt, waving Biafra flags and holding placards. Protesters in Delta state went to the government house to condemn the arrest and continued detention of Kanu.
Andrew Jaja, the presiding Magistrate, said the court lacked jurisdiction over the matter since they were charged for treasonable felony.
He also said that the the accused could not be granted bail, stressing that the offence for which they were charged was beyond the magistrate court.
According to ChannelsTV , Jaja said: “Section 118 of the Criminal Procedure Act provides that persons charged with treason/capital offence cannot be granted bail by the Magistrate Court, but have the opportunity to be granted bail by the High Court.”
The magistrate ordered that copies of the original case file be made and sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for further investigation and advice.
He also asked that the accused be remanded in prison custody till Thursday, November 26.
In the same vein, there are speculation that some pro-Biafra activist in India were moving to confront President Muhammadu Buhari on his arrival at the Delhi International Airport.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the diaspora must have hatched a perfect plot on how to protest at the airport against President Buhari. The protest is to express their dissatisfaction over the alleged abduction and continued detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
On Monday, October 26, the Punch reported that pro-Biafra activists under the aegis of IPOB threatened destroy the Nigerian embassy in India, if Kanu was not released
They were part of hundreds who marched to show solidarity for the Biafran Radio Director, Nnamdi Kanu who was arrested by the Department of State Services when he returned from the United Kingdom on Saturday, October 17.
Last week, Biafra supporters staged mass protests in Rivers and Delta states.They took to the streets of Port Harcourt, waving Biafra flags and holding placards. Protesters in Delta state went to the government house to condemn the arrest and continued detention of Kanu.
Andrew Jaja, the presiding Magistrate, said the court lacked jurisdiction over the matter since they were charged for treasonable felony.
He also said that the the accused could not be granted bail, stressing that the offence for which they were charged was beyond the magistrate court.
According to ChannelsTV , Jaja said: “Section 118 of the Criminal Procedure Act provides that persons charged with treason/capital offence cannot be granted bail by the Magistrate Court, but have the opportunity to be granted bail by the High Court.”
The magistrate ordered that copies of the original case file be made and sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for further investigation and advice.
He also asked that the accused be remanded in prison custody till Thursday, November 26.
In the same vein, there are speculation that some pro-Biafra activist in India were moving to confront President Muhammadu Buhari on his arrival at the Delhi International Airport.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the diaspora must have hatched a perfect plot on how to protest at the airport against President Buhari. The protest is to express their dissatisfaction over the alleged abduction and continued detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
On Monday, October 26, the Punch reported that pro-Biafra activists under the aegis of IPOB threatened destroy the Nigerian embassy in India, if Kanu was not released
