The Federal High Court 1, sitting in Owerri, Imo State, and presided over by Hon. Justice I.N. Oweibo, has acquitted Chika Edoziem, the Head of the Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), of charges related to terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping, and violent criminal activities.
Justice Oweibo delivered the ruling in Suit No: FHC/OW/FHR/29/2024, in a case between Mazi Chika Edoziem and the Hon. Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff. The court 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 also addressed the March 22, 2024, publication of Edoziem’s name and photograph in the Ministry of Defence’s First Edition of 2024, labeling him a security threat. Justice Oweibo ruled that the publication violated Edoziem’s constitutionally guaranteed right to human dignity and was, therefore, unconstitutional.
Additionally, the court ordered the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff to immediately retract the unconstitutional declaration, issue an unreserved public apology in two national newspapers, and award Mazi Chika Edoziem ₦5 million in damages for the infringement on his rights.
Edoziem was the only individual among those named in the notice to successfully challenge the inclusion of his name in the publication. He ranks just below the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In response to the ruling, IPOB’s lead counsel, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, praised the Federal High Court 1 for its “historic” and “landmark” judgment, which he said sends a clear message against unjust profiling and emphasizes the importance of due process in security matters.
Ejiofor stated, “Security agencies must focus on proper profiling to identify actual criminals rather than targeting innocent citizens. The real perpetrators of crime operate in known locations, and tackling insecurity requires collective responsibility beyond just the security forces.”
He also expressed gratitude to his colleagues in chambers and the IPOB supporters for their unwavering support throughout the case, and thanked God for guidance and protection during the legal proceedings. “Justice has prevailed,” he concluded.
