LAGOS COURT ACQUITS EZE NDIGBO OF AJAO ESTATE OF TERRORISM CHARGE, CONVICTS HIM FOR IMPERSONATION
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A Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square has acquitted the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Frederick Nwajagu, of terrorism charges brought against him by the state government.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya, however, convicted Nwajagu for unlawfully parading himself as a titled chief in Lagos, sentencing him to one year in prison without the option of a fine.
The acquittal on the terrorism charges followed the prosecution’s failure to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations.
Justice Adesanya ruled that the state had not proven the necessary elements of the terrorism offenses.
Despite being cleared of the terrorism charges, Nwajagu was convicted for impersonating a recognized chief in Lagos State, an offense under the Oba and Chiefs Law of Lagos State.
In her judgment, Justice Adesanya noted that Nwajagu’s actions violated the legal provisions governing chieftaincy titles in the state.
Nwajagu, who had been in custody since his arrest on April 1, 2023, was granted an immediate discharge due to having already served a prison term longer than the sentence for his conviction. The court’s ruling marked the conclusion of a trial that began on May 10, 2023, when Nwajagu pleaded not guilty to nine counts related to terrorism.
The charges against Nwajagu included “attempting to commit acts of terrorism,” “participating in terrorism,” and “supporting a proscribed entity,” among others. These charges stemmed from a viral video in which Nwajagu was seen threatening to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to Lagos to protect the properties of Igbo people in the state. In the 49-second video, Nwajagu was heard saying, “We will invite IPOB… they will protect all of our shops. We have to mobilize for that.”
During the trial, one of the prosecution’s witnesses, Mrs. Raulat Ibrahim, a civil servant in the Ministry of Local Governments, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development, testified that the title of “Eze Ndigbo” was not recognized under Lagos State’s laws. She explained that the process for recognizing a chieftaincy title was governed by the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State, 2015, and emphasized that there was no recognized Oba or chief in Ajao Estate.
Nwajagu’s case has attracted significant attention, raising questions about the regulation of chieftaincy titles and the legal thresholds for terrorism-related offenses in Nigeria.
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