allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Court Grants Fresh Bail to Uwazuruike, Others (Page 1 of 2)

THE Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja yesterday granted fresh bail to the leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.

Ten other members of MASSOB who have been detained in the prisons more than two and half years ago were also admitted to bail yesterday.

In granting them the temporary freedom, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja said that the proof of evidence attached to the criminal information filed against them was too weak to sustain their continued detention in custody.

But the court said that the accused persons who were each granted bail yesterday would not breathe their air of freedom until they have met a set of liberal conditions including that they must produce two sureties each who must be civil servants not below the position of Assistant Director.

The court said though that the surety could come from any part of the country.

Granted bail yesterday were Ralph Uwazurike 'm' 45 years old, Chibuike Nwosu 'm' 23 years old, Benedict Alakwen 'm' 45 years old, Chimankpa Okorocha 'm' 19 years old, Kelechi Ubabuike 'm' 27 years old, Ambrose Anyanso 46 and Augustine Ihuoma 40.

Others were Uchenna Madu 27, Vincent Ekwuazi 47 and Arinze Igbani 29 years.

Federal high court sitting in Abuja presided over by Justice Binta Murtala Nyarko had denied all the accused persons bail.

Their counsel, Chief Mike Ahamba had taken the matter to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court before the Chambers of Mr Festus Keyamo took over.

He succeeded in getting a temporary three-month bail for the national leader of the organisation, Chief Uwazuruike to bury her late mother but others were denied bail.

Keyamo however surged forward by approaching the Court of Appeal for the bail of the remaining accused person in the matter.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja which sat on the case yesterday however moved in favour of the accused persons and granted them bail.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government yesterday arraigned all the accused persons afresh before Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal high court, Abuja following the transfer of the former presiding judge in the case, Justice Binta Murtala Nyarko who had handled the case for more than two years now.

The new trial judge, Justice Adamu Bello who assumed jurisdiction on the matter Wednesday however allowed only the MASSOB leader, Uwazuruike home on the same condition he was granted temporary bail by the former trial judge, Justice Binta Murtala Nyarko.

Yesterday was the third time in the last two and a half years when trial in the case would start de novo.

The first time was when only seven accused persons and MASSOB members were charged to court by the government ; the second was sequel to the amendment by the Federal Government of the original five-count treason charge preferred against the seven leaders of the association to accommodate five more members of MASSOB while the third was last Wednesday following transfer of the former trial judge.

All the accused persons took turn yesterday to enter their pleas of not guilty to the five-count charge.

Vanguard recalls that seven of the MASSOB leaders presently facing trial were first brought to court.

The first seven MASSOB members arraigned were Ralph Uwazurike 'm' 45 years old, Chibuike Nwosu 'm' 23 years old, Benedict Alakwen 'm' 45 years old, Chimankpa Okorocha 'm' 19 years old, Kelechi Ubabuike 'm' 27 years old, Ambrose Anyanso 46 and Augustine Ihuoma 40.

Those who were added to the list after amendment of the charge sheet were Uche Okwukwu 39, Uchenna Madu 27, Vincent Ekwuazi 47 and Arinze Igbani 29 years.

Specifically, the prosecution, in the first count, alleged that all the accused persons conspired among themselves to levy war against the Federal Government by overthrowing President Olusegun Obasanjo, an offence under section 37 (2) of the Criminal Code Act, Chapter 77, Laws of the Federation.

In the second charge, they were accused of belonging to MASSOB, a militant group, "which is levying war against the state of Nigeria in order to intimidate and overawe the President and Government of Nigeria ."

The suspects were, in the third account, accused of taking part in the management of an unlawful society called MASSOB which amounted to an offence under section 64 of the Criminal Code Act.

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