MICHAEL AKINOLA
The Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, Frederick Nwajiagu, has denounced his position as Igbo king a.k.a Ezendigbo by stating that he had never referred to himself as a king but a leader to the Igbo-speaking people in Ajao Estate.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the embattled Nwajiagu, who is facing charges of terrorism, stated this on Monday before the Court. He equally said that he regretted his comments, which he described as empty threat and did not know there was a law prohibiting a person from mentioning the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Nigeria.
Eze Nwajiagu stated these while giving evidence before a Lagos High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square, where he is standing trial on a nine-count bordering on an attempt to commit acts of terrorism, financing terrorism, participating in terrorism and meeting to support a proscribed entity.
During the trial, Eze Nwajiagu was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr. Emefo Etudo. He stated that the video shown to the Court, where he was talking, was not the original video but an edited one.
He noted that what he said in his house was an empty threat made to calm the Igbo down after the 2023 elections when some people came to his house and he gave them drinks and made the statement believing that there is freedom of speech and association in Nigeria.
“I have no connection with IPOB,” he said.
The defendant, who was cross examined by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr Babajide Martins, told the Court that when he was interrogated at the Department of State Services (DSS) office, he informed the DSS that he had no relationship with IPOB.
Nwajiagu repeated that he was not the person that recorded the video.
“I made the statement that went viral because of the Igbo people whose shops were looted and burnt including what MC Oluomo said against the Igbos in Lagos.
I made a second video while at Panti Police Station denouncing the first video.”
“I regret making the first speech because I didn’t know there is a law prohibiting people from mentioning IPOB.”
After the cross examination, his counsel urged the Court to release the defendant on bail. He explained that the prosecution had closed its case and the nature of the prosecution’s evidence should not counter the bail application.
However, the prosecution opposed the bail application and after all the argument on bail application, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, adjourned the matter till 26th March, 2024, for ruling on bail application.
Justice Adesanya also told the parties to file all their written addresses since the defence had already closed its case and gave 16th April, 2024, for adoption of final written addresses.
Eze Nwajiagu had on 25th July, 2023, applied for bail, citing his medical reports, adding that he was not a flight risk and on 28th July, 2023, the Court refused the bail application, based on the seriousness of the offence and the severity of its punishment.
The Lagos State Government had in the suit alleged that the defendant’s offences contravened the provisions of Section 403(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 and Sections 12(a) (c), 18, 21 and 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.