An Ebonyi State High Court on Thursday discharged and acquitted the last 24 Biafran freedom fighters who had been on trial since their arrest on May 24, 2020.
The presiding judge, Justice I.P. Chima, upheld a preliminary objection by the defence that the defendants could not be retried for the same offences after having been acquitted by other courts, citing the constitutional protection against double jeopardy. He ordered their immediate release, declaring their prolonged detention unconstitutional.
Lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, hailed the verdict as a historic victory and praised the judiciary’s courage and commitment to justice.
He revealed that these individuals had been held for four years on repeated, recycled charges despite being acquitted multiple times by at least five different courts in Ebonyi State.
Ejiofor expressed gratitude to all parties cooperating with the court’s order and called on the government to provide rehabilitation and compensation for the released detainees, acknowledging the emotional and economic toll their long incarceration had taken.
The release concludes a contentious legal battle that had drawn attention from civil society and human rights advocates concerned about recurring prosecutions and extended detentions on similar charges.
Ejiofor characterized the ruling as a triumph of justice and a turning point that restores hope to the families affected, who had endured years of suffering and separation.
The detainees left the correctional facility rejoicing, marking the end of their ordeal and the beginning of a healing process.
