The Lagos State High Court, sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square has discharged and acquitted Frederick Nwajagu, the self-proclaimed Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, of the terrorism charges brought against him by the state.
In her judgment, Justice Yetunde Adesanya held that the Lagos State government failed to prove the terrorism charge against Nwajagu beyond all reasonable doubts.
Thee judge however found him guilty of parading himself as a titled chief in Lagos without any authorisation, and for this offence, he was jailed for one year without the option of a fine.
But Justice Adesanya held that since Nwajagu has been in the Correctional Centre for over two years for the alleged offence while the trial lasted, he would be allowed to go home, as he has already served more than the jail term stipulated for the offence.
The 67-year-old Eze Ndigbo was arrested on April 1, 2023, by the Department of State Services (DSS) over an alleged threat to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people in the state.
In the 49-second viral video, Nwajago was heard saying, “IPOB, we will invite them. They have no job. All of the IPOB will protect all of our shops. And we have to pay them. We have to mobilise for that. We have to do that. We must have our security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.”
On May 9, the then Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN), had arraigned the defendant on a nine-count charge of attempting to commit acts of terrorism.
And on May 6th, Chief Magistrate Peter Nwaka, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1m with 4 sureties, all of whom must be resident in Lagos.
The court also ordered that one of the sureties must own a property in Lagos which must be registered with the land bureau and which documents must be deposited with the court.
But he was unable to meet the bail conditions and remained in custody.
