IPOB: Court acquits, discharges Lagos Eze Ndigbo of terrorism charges
The Lagos State High Court has acquitted and discharged Frederick Nwajagu, who is known as the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, from terrorism charges.
The presiding judge, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, determined that the Lagos State government did not meet the burden of proof required to establish the terrorism allegations against Nwajagu beyond a reasonable doubt.
Nwajagu was arrested on April 1, 2023, after a video surfaced online in which he made statements perceived as inciting violence. In this video, he called upon Igbo indigenes in Lagos to recruit members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) to protect their properties from looters.
His comments included an invitation for IPOB members to assist in securing shops owned by Igbo people, suggesting they would be compensated for their efforts.
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Following his arrest, he was charged with multiple counts related to terrorism and impersonation. The charges included attempting to commit acts of terrorism and participating in meetings supporting a criminal entity under various sections of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act of 2022.
During the trial, Justice Adesanya found that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to support any of the terrorism-related charges. The judge noted that none of the essential elements required to prove these allegations were established by the state government.
However, Nwajagu was convicted for violating local laws regarding chieftaincy titles. Specifically, he was found guilty of unlawfully parading himself as a titled chief without proper authorization under the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State. For this offense, he received a one-year prison sentence.
Sentencing and release
Given that Nwajagu had already spent nearly two years in custody awaiting trial since his arrest in April 2023, Justice Adesanya ordered his immediate release from prison following sentencing. This decision was based on the fact that he had served more time than what was prescribed for his conviction.
