The Ebonyi State High Court on Thursday ordered the unconditional release of the remaining 24 Biafran detainees who had been unlawfully held since May 24, 2020.
The detainees, part of a group of 36 individuals arrested in connection with alleged separatist activities, had spent over four years in detention despite multiple court rulings previously acquitting them of any wrongdoing.
Today’s decision by Hon. Justice I. P. Chima effectively brings an end to the legal battle marked by what their legal counsel described as “recycled and repackaged charges.”
Delivering the ruling, Justice Chima upheld a preliminary objection filed by the defense, citing Section 36(9) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which protects individuals from double jeopardy.
The court agreed that the repeated attempts to try the detainees on charges they had already been acquitted of amounted to a gross violation of their fundamental rights.
Legal representative Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq. (KSC), who has led the defense team throughout the case, expressed deep gratitude for the court’s recognition of justice. “Justice delayed is not always justice denied. Today, the Constitution has spoken loudly and clearly. These men have been vindicated not just by the law, but by truth,” he said.
Ejiofor also praised the moral courage and intellectual depth displayed by Justice Chima, calling the ruling a beacon of hope in the face of systemic abuse. “This erudite judgment has once again reaffirmed the judiciary as the last hope of the common man,” he said.
The 24 detainees were part of a larger group who had faced prolonged detention despite multiple rulings from at least five different High Courts within Ebonyi State affirming their innocence. According to the defense, some of the detainees were rearrested shortly after being discharged, in blatant disregard of existing judicial orders.
Following today’s ruling, the Ebonyi State Government’s legal representatives reportedly pledged in open court to comply fully with the judgment. Correctional authorities also undertook to release the detainees immediately and without resistance. Ejiofor noted that his team is already taking necessary steps to ensure full compliance with the court’s directive.
“This is a momentous day not just for these 24 men and their families, but for the Nigerian justice system as a whole,” he added. “Some of their wives have been abandoned, children left to fend for themselves, and aged parents buried in sorrow. Today marks the beginning of healing and rebuilding.”
The defense team has called on the Ebonyi State Government and relevant authorities to consider rehabilitation and reparation measures for the released individuals, many of whom endured harsh conditions and separation from loved ones for over four years.
In his closing remarks, Ejiofor dedicated the victory to divine intervention, stating, “To the Almighty God—ChukwuOkike Abiama—be all the glory. It could only have been Him.”
