Justice I.N Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, Imo state has cleared the Head of the Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Chika Edoziem, of all charges related to terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping, and violent criminal activities.
Edoziem, who ranks next to the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was previously declared wanted and listed as a security threat in a government publication.
A judgment delivered in the case between Edoziem and the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff, Justice Oweibo, held that Edoziem’s designation as a wanted person, terrorist, insurgent, kidnapper, and violent criminal was illegal and a violation of his fundamental rights.
Justice Oweibo ruled that the March 22, 2024, publication of Edoziem’s name and photograph in the Ministry of Defence’s First Edition of 2024 was done in gross violation of his constitutionally guaranteed right to dignity of the human person, making it unconstitutional.
Justice Oweibo ordered the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff to immediately retract the unconstitutional declaration of Chika Edoziem as a terrorist, insurgent, kidnapper, violent criminal and wanted person, tender an unreserved public apology to Edoziem in two national newspapers and further awarded N5m in damages for the infringement of Edoziem’s fundamental right to dignity of the human person.