January 17, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State High Court, sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), has discharged and acquitted Frederick Nwajagu, the self-proclaimed Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, of terrorism charges.
Nwajagu was arrested on April 1, 2023, by the Department of State Services (DSS), over an alleged threat to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people in the state.
The Lagos State Government had on May 9, arraigned the 67-year-old on a nine-count charge of attempting to commit acts of terrorism.
The defendant was also accused of attempting to carry out acts of terrorism under Section 403(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015; participating in a terrorism meeting to support a criminal entity; attempting to finance an act of terrorism and preparation to commit an act of terrorism under sections 12(c), 18, 21, 29 & 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022,” amongst other charges. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Ruling on the charges, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, held that the Lagos State government failed to prove the terrorism charge against Nwajagu beyond all reasonable doubts.
The judge, however, found him guilty of parading himself as a titled chief in Lagos without any authorisation, and for this offence, he was jailed for one year without the option of a fine.
Since Nwajagu has already spent more than the prescribed jail term for this offence since his arrest in 2023, he was released from prison and allowed to go home by the court.
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