The Federal High Court 1 sitting in Owerri, Imo State presided over by Justice I.N. Oweibo has cleared the Head of Directorate of State of Indigenous People of Biafra, Chika Edoziem, of charges related to terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping and violent criminal activities.
Justice Oweibo delivered the judgment in Suit between Mazi Chika Edoziem Vs Minister of Defence and Chief of Defence Staff and consequently declared as illegal, the designation of Edoziem as a wanted person, terrorist, insurgent, kidnapper and violent criminal by the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff.
The ruling affirms that the March 22, 2024, publication of Edoziem’s name and photograph in the Ministry of Defence’s First Edition of 2024, as a security threat, was done in gross violation of his constitutionally guaranteed right to dignity of the human person, and as such, unconstitutional.
In the charge sheet obtained by newsmen, His Lordship, further directed the Minister of Defence and Chief of Defence Staff to immediately retract the unconstitutional declaration of Mazi Chika Edoziem as a terrorist, insurgent, kidnapper, violent criminal and wanted person, and to issue an unreserved public apology in two national newspapers to Mazi Chika Edoziem.