LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT ARRAIGNS EZE NDIGBO FOR TERRORISM
By Aishat Momoh. O.
Frederick Nwajago, the Eze Ndigbo of Lagos’ Ajao Estate, has been charged with terrorism by the government of Lagos State.
He was charged on nine counts in court, including “attempt to do acts of terrorism, participation in terrorism, meeting to support a proscribed entity, attempt to finance an act of terrorism, and preparation to commit an act of terrorism, preferred against him by the state government.”
The Defendant pleaded not guilty to all the nine counts.
Recall that Nwajagu was arrested on April 1 following a viral video, in which he threatened to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people living in the state.
In the49-second viral video, Nwajago was heard saying, “IPOB, we will invite them. They have no job. All of the IPOB will protect all of our shops. And we have to pay them. We have to mobilise for that. We have to do that. We must have our security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.
“When they discover that we have our security before they will come, they will know that we have our men there. I am not saying a single word to be hidden. I am not hiding my words, let my words go viral. Igbo must get their right and get a stand in Lagos State.”
However, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, while reacting to his statements, said the command would resist the presence of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) in the state.
The 67-year-old was taken before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Yaba after his arrest, which issued a ruling that he should be kept in prison custody.
He was brought by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice on Tuesday and arraigned before Justice Yetunde Adesanya.
Jonathan Ogunsanya, a deputy director in the ministry of justice, testified in court on behalf of Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, the attorney general of Lagos State, that the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate had violated sections 403(2) and 12(c), 18, 21, and 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The matter was adjourned to the 4th and 5th of July, 2023 for trial.