By Joy Emmanuel
Yenagoa
A Magistrate Court sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, yesterday fixed April 25 for ruling on the three count charge of conspiracy, breach of public peace and unlawful gathering filed against the 44 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The detained members of the IPOB were arrested in October 2016 while meeting in the state by men of the Joint Military Task Force code named Operation Delta Safe and handed to the Police authorities for prosecution.
At yesterday’s hearing in Magistrate Court 5, Barr Kinsley Nwosu, the Counsel to the arrested IPOB members, presented a no case submission before the court, describing the arrest and trial of the IPOB members as a deliberate attempt to intimidate and violate the fundamental rights of the people to freedom of gathering.
Nwosu said though the prosecution, the Nigerian Police, have failed to produce a credible witness to substantiate the three count charge against the IPOB members, ” it is a case where there is serious intimidation and the prosecution could not produce credible witness.”
The presiding Magistrate Umukoro, however adjourned till 25th of April for ruling.
