Nigeria: Alleged Treason - Supreme Court Okays MASSOB for Trial

Nigeria: Alleged Treason - Supreme Court Okays MASSOB Leader, Uwazuruike, Six Others for Trial

The Supreme Court, Friday, gave the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Mohammed Adoke Bello, SAN, the nod to prosecute the leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike and six others, for allegedly committing treason against the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A five- man panel of justices of the apex court led by Justice Mahmud Mohammed, dismissed an appeal before it by the accused MASSOB members, saying that their "trial should proceed with dispatch." However, the Supreme Court's decision triggered angry reactions from Igbo, most of who described the Federal Government position on MASSOB as absurd, especially in "view of the kid glove approach it had adopted in the case of Boko Haram adherents who are being considered for amnesty." Chief Raph Uwazuruike and Late Ojukwu Aside Uwazurike, the other accused persons the apex court directed the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to promptly commence their trial included Ambrose Anyaso, Augustine Ihuoma, Chibuike Nwosu, Kelechi Ubabuike, Chimankpa Okorocha and Benedict Alakwem.

The Federal Government had on November 8, 2005, arraigned the accused persons before the Federal High Court, on a four-count criminal charge bothering on treasonable felony. The government had alleged that the accused persons who it said were top officials at the MASSOB headquarters situated at Okwe, Onu-Imo Local Government Area of Imo State, on diverse dates between January 2004 and October 2005, at Owerri and other places in Nigeria, "with intent to levy war, overawe and overthrow the legitimate government of Nigeria," conspired to commit felony to wit: treason against the Federal Republic of Nigeria, contrary to Sections 37 (2), 62(2) (1) 64, 237 (1) of the Criminal Code Act Chapter 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and p … continued