The proceedings in the trial of Frederick Nwajagu, the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, on charges of terrorism, faced a delay on Tuesday at the Lagos State High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square, following the nonattendance of the defence counsel.
The case was adjourned until July 5 by Justice Yetunde Adesanya.
Nwajagu was taken into custody by the Department of State Services (DSS) on April 1, subsequent to the release of a video in which he was seen threatening to invite the South-East separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to Lagos.
‘IPOB, we will invite them. They have no job. IPOB will protect all of our shops. And we have to pay them. We have to mobilise for that.’
Nwajagu was caught saying, ‘We have to do that. We must have our security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.’
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Upon his arrest, he was indicted on May 9, on nine counts, bordering on ‘an attempt to commit acts of terrorism, participating in terrorism and meeting to support a proscribed entity, attempt to finance an act of terrorism, and preparation to commit an act of terrorism.’
The prosecution counsel, Jonathan Ogunsanya, stated before the court that the charges were in breach of Section 403(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, alongside sections 12(a)(c), 18, 21, and 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Upon hearing the charges, Nwajagu entered a plea of not guilty to all the allegations.
On Tuesday, the prosecution counsel announced their attendance, but the defense counsel was missing from the hearing.
Nwajagu, in response to the court’s inquiry, expressed his shock at the absence of his counsel, stating that he had been promised by the lawyer that a junior counsel would be present in their stead if they were unable to attend