The Acting Chief Judge of Abia State, Hon Justice Onuoha Ogwe, has granted bail in the sum of N1million each to six Judaism adherents in Umuahia, the state capital.
Justice O. A Chijioke of the state High Court 3 also granted bail to two other adherents of the Jewish faith in the sum of N200,000 each, with one surety each and two copies of their recent passport photographs deposited with the court.
However, the court denied another adherent bail because, according to his counsel, Barrister Alloy Ejike, who vowed to continue with the struggle to secure his release, his case file was missing.
The adherents were arrested by the police while praying at the home of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in Isiama Afaraukwu Umuahia.
The adherents were initially arraigned at a Chief Magistrates’ Court in May, where Mr. O. U. Ugwu, ordered their remand in prison in Afara, pending the transfer of the matter to the High Court.
Speaking with newsmen later, the counsel wondered how ordinary civilians in flowing white gown and praising their God, could have, according to the police, become a security risk.
Ejike expressed regret that anybody or organisation perceived to be identifying, either directly or indirectly, with the IPOB leader, became the targets of security operatives.
He vowed to challenge the action of the security agencies against the religious rights of Judaic adherents and other freedom fighters both “nationally and internationally.”
