Posted by ABUJA - AUTHORITIES of Lafia Prison have protested that they do not have facilities to continue keeping detained leaders of Movement for on
ABUJA - AUTHORITIES of Lafia Prison have protested that they do not have facilities to continue keeping detained leaders of Movement for.....
ABUJA - AUTHORITIES of Lafia Prison have protested that they do not have facilities to continue keeping detained leaders of Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). The protest is contained in a letter from the prison located in Nassarawa State to the Federal High Court, Abuja. Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako announced the protest today at the resumed trial of MASSOB leaders.
She, therefore, sought the opinion of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and counsel to the accused persons on the way forward.
Meanwhile, the accused persons had urged the court not to consider an option of sending them back to the custody of the State Security Services (SSS).
Counsel to the accused persons, Mr Val Ikonu, told the court that the dehumanising treatment meted on his clients by the SSS before they were charged to court was still fresh in their memory.
Ikonu suggested keeping his clients at the Kuje Prison, a plea the judge rejected on the grounds that the facility was full to capacity.
Earlier, counsel representing the DPP, Mr Hadi Barkum, had suggested options of Koton-Karfi Prison or the SSS custody.
Justice Murtala-Nyako ordered that the accused be remained at Keffi Prison, while she consulted with concern parties on the appropriate custody.
She adjourned the matter to September 28, for commencement of substantial trial.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls Chief Ralph Uwazurike and 11 other leaders of MASSOB were arraigned before the court by the federal government.
They were accused of conspiracy to 'levy war, overawe and overthrow the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo''.
They were also alleged to have committed the offence on diverse dates between January 2004 and October 2005, at Owerri and other places in the country.
The accused persons were also alleged of belonging to a militant group called 'MASSOB ARMY", which was said to be undergoing training with intent to levy war, intimidate and overawe the government.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges, but their application for bail was refused by the court on the ground that they constituted security risk and that charges against them were weighty.
It will recalled that their lead counsel, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), filed an appeal against the ruling on bail of the accused persons.
Ahamba had also applied for a stay in the trial at the High Court pending the determination of the appeal which was granted by Justice Murtala-Nyako.