The Nigeria Police Command in Delta State has arrested and arraigned 60 pro-Biafra activists in Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State on charges of “cultism” and “unlawful assembly”, and “terrorism”.
The suspects were said to have allegedly assembled for a meeting in the community on Tuesday, January 4, 2016 when the Nigeria Police acted on a tip-off and arrested them in their hideout, The People’s Daily reports.
The activists were arraigned on Thursday at the Ogwashi-Uku Magistrate Court for four-count charges which bothered on illegal assembly, cultism, and others punishable under the new anti-cultism and terrorism law of Delta State 2016 recently signed into law by the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
Upon the charges read before the accused, the presiding magistrate of the court, chief magistrate Saduna Aninie with the Charge Suit No: M/O/C/2017, said the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the case and directed the case file be transferred to the office of the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice and remanded the accused persons to prison custody.
It was reliably gathered that the accused persons were raided in their hideout in a popular hotel (name withheld) in the community where they were allegedly a meeting. The raid was conducted by a combined team of soldiers and police detectives.
Andrew Aniamaka, spokesperson of the Delt State Police Command, confirmed that the raid was carried in the community (Ogwashi-Uku), Ibusa and some communities in Ndokwa axis.
