No fewer than 88 members of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) arrested by the Ebonyi State Police command Abakaliki during this year’s Biafra Day celebration were yesterday granted bail by the state magistrate court.
The police command had at Nkaliki Primary School, Abakaliki local government area of the state arrested about 92 members of MASSOB at prayer session to commemorate the 2016 Bifra Day.
Yesterday, 88 of them were arraigned before an Abakaliki Magistrate court on a four count charge of conspiracy, belonging to unlawful society, membership of unlawful group and possession of items calling for the declaration of Biafra.
After the charges were read before them, all the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Their lead counsel, Jerry Ezenyi made application for their bail saying that their offence was bailable.
In her ruling, the trial Magistrate, Stella Ogoke granted the accused persons bail with N500,000 and seven sureties who must be within the magisterial jurisdiction.
She said the sureties must be civil servants or businessmen and adjourned the matter to July 18, 2016 for definite hearing.
Meanwhile, 13 persons suspected to be members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra(MASSOB) and Biafran independence Movement(BIM) who were arrested last Monday arrested at Edinburgh Ogui axis of Enugu state have been arraigned in court. They were arraigned yesterday in Court 6 presided by E.N Alukwu in the Enugu North magisterial District Holden at Enugu. (Leadership)
