Court adjourns bail application for detained Ohanaeze youth leader

A magistrate’s court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has adjourned hearing on a bail application for the release of the detained National President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Igboayaka Igboayaka.

OYC is the Youth wing of the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

Arrest and arraignment

Mr Igboayaka, 42, was arrested in Owerri, Imo State capital on 8 February by police operatives from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of Ebonyi State Police Command.

The Ohanaeze leader’s arrest, which many initially mistook for abduction by gunmen, occurred shortly after his reelection for a second term as the council’s president.

He was subsequently brought to Abakaliki, where he was detained by the police in Ebonyi State.

Mr Igboayaka was later arraigned on 12 February at the Abakaliki magistrate court on a felony charge and was remanded at the Abakaliki Medium Custodial Centre.

Adjournment

Counsel to the defendant, Obinna Ekeke, had filed an application for bail of the Ohanaeze youth leader.

But ruling on the bail application at the hearing on Thursday, the Magistrate, Sandra Ifeanyi-Oyibe, said that the defendant was appearing before the court for the first time after he was remanded on 12 February.

Mr Ekeke, however, argued that the bail application was made consequent on the deteriorating health condition of the defendant and appealed to the magistrate to grant the request in the interest of justice.

“If not for the health condition of the defendant, we won’t stress ourselves; and it won’t serve us any good, the society, the interest of justice if this young man’s life is lost because of this case.

“This is my first time of appearing before this honourable court and this application for bail bears a mark of the Supreme Court, which has made a clear position on this,” the defence counsel said.

“I strongly believe that this court has jurisdiction to allow bail even without application.”

But Mrs Ifeanyi-Oyibe declined to rule on the bail application and subsequently adjourned the matter until 12 March 2025.

“This is the first time this matter is coming up after the remand,” she insisted.

“You also know that you can make this application at the High Court, so if by the next adjournment and the law says 14 days, you can apply for bail especially if it’s not a capital offence.

“Therefore, the matter is hereby adjourned to March 12 for compliance,” the magistrate ruled.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution counsel was absent in court.

Conspiracy charge

Mr Igboayaka, alongside others now at large, are facing trial for alleged conspiracy to commit felony.

The charge against the Ohanaeze leader followed accusations that he allegedly made some suspicious comments concerning the recent killings in Amegu, Nkalagha Community in Ebonyi State.

Amegu Nkalagha is a community in Ishielu Local Government of Ebonyi State.

(NAN)