Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, Nwanjago arraigned, faces terrorism charges

The Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, Frederick Nkemdilim Nwanjago, who was arrested in Lagos for threatening in a video to mobilize IPOB members to Lagos State to secure properties of Igbo in the aftermath of 2023 polls, was on Thursday arraigned in Lagos.

Nwanjago, who was arraigned by the Lagos State Government, is facing a nine-count charge bordering on terrorism before Justice Y.A. Adesanya of a Lagos High Court.

Persecondnews recalls that on April 1, 2023, Chief Frederick Nwajagu, Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate was arrested by the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Police for allegedly threatening to invite armed members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB ) to Lagos in the aftermath of the February 25 and March 11 national elections following the harassment, intimidation and destruction of Igbo properties in Lagos.

The Igbo leader had in a video, which went viral on the internet on Friday, called for the IPOB members to be brought to Lagos State to secure properties that belong to the Igbo.

Nwajagu was quoted as saying in the video: “We will invite IPOBs. All of them have no jobs. They will protect our shops and we have to pay them. We have to mobilize them.

“We must do that. We must have our own security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.”

But on Thursday at Nwajagu’s arraignment, Mr Jonathan Ogunsanya, a Deputy Director in the State Ministry of Justice, who represented the state government in court, said he is being prosecuted for alleged terrorism.

The charges include attempts to do acts of terrorism under Section 403(2) of the Criminal law of Lagos State, 2015, participation in a terrorism meeting to support a proscribed entity, attempt to finance an act of terrorism, preparation to commit an act of terrorism under Sections 12(c), 18, 21, 29 & 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022, amongst others.

Nwanjago, however, denied all the nine-count charges and was remanded in prison pending trial.

The case was adjourned until July 4 and 5, 2023.