BIAFRA: 112 women demanding for Kanu remanded in prison

No less than 112 pro-Biafra women from South East Nigeria have been remanded in prison custody by a magistrate’s court presided over by S.K. Durumba in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

Two of the women, including one heavy with pregnant, were said to have slumped and rushed to an undisclosed hospital before the commencement of the court sitting.

The women were brought and arraigned in the court after the Imo State Police Command had last Friday arrested them in Owerri during their peaceful protest demanding for the whereabouts of the missing leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kalu, and demanding that the Federal Government should conduct a referendum for an independent state of Biafra.

Kanu has gone missing after troops of the Nigerian army stormed his father’s house sometime ago.

Police had earlier levelled a 10-count charge against them but withdrew two of the charges when the women were arraigned on Monday, leaving eight charges.

The two counts charge the police prosecutor, Thaddeus Okey, told the magistrate that he was withdrawing bothered on allegation that the women belonged to a terrorist organisation.

Some of the eight remaining charges against the women read, “That on August 17, 2018, within the Owerri magisterial district, with intent to carry out some common purpose, assembled in such a manner as to cause persons in the neighbourhood to fear on reasonable grounds that the persons so assembled will tumultuously disturb the peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 70 of the Criminal Code.

“That you conspired with others now at large to commit misdemeanour: to wit conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 517 of the Criminal Code.

“That you and others now at large did in a public place, conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by unlawfully obstructing the flow of traffic and other business and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 249 (d) of the Criminal Code Act.

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“That you did, assemble yourselves together and publicly exhibited banners, emblems, flags or symbols of Indigenous people of Biafra and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 88(b) of the Criminal Code.

“That you conspired with others now at large to commit felony to wit treasonable felony and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code.”

Represented by no less than 10 lawyers, the women pleaded not guilty to the charges.

However, the magistrate refused to grant bail to the accused and adjourned sitting on the matter until September 3 for legal advice by the attorney general of the state, arguing that her court had no jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

 

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