No Evidence Against Effium/Ezza-Effium War Detainees – Ebonyi Attorney General
By Ngwuta Chinedu,Abakaliki
The Ebonyi state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Ben Odoh has said that there was no sufficient evidence to drive the charge of conspiracy home and citing of war against the 180 Effium/ Ezza-Effium war detainees in the Abakaliki Correctional Centre.
This was contained in a letter Odoh addressed to the presiding Magistrate Lynda Ogodo which held that the records of proofs of evidence doesn’t in his opinion disclose sufficient evidences to sustain the charges against the defendants, hence, the order for their discharge.
According to the letter, “In pursuant to section 167(1) of Ebonyi State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2019, I hereby inform you that the record of the proofs of evidence doesn’t in my opinion disclose sufficient evidence to sustain the charge of conspiracy,and citing of war contrary to section 516(A)(a) and 42 of the criminal code cap 33 volume 1 laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009 or any other offence against the Defendants.
“You are therefore kindly requested to summon the defendants and have them discharged,” the State Attorney General ordered.
It would be recalled that the male detainees were arrested in 2021 following Effium/Ezza crisis which emanated from leadership tussle on collection of market tolls in the then Effium popular market in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.
The Effium motor park clash further snowballed into a full-blown communal war between Effium and Ezza-Effium people which led to the death of many and destruction of property worth billions of naira.
The communual war which started in 2021 continued unabated, despite the then government led by David Umahi’s interventions and was inherited by the incumbent administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru.
The discharge of all the detainees who are natives of the war ravaged community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state from prison is part of the state Governor Francis Nwifuru’s measures to restore absolute peace in the area.
The discharge exercise commenced on 5th February 2025 at various courts handling the matters in Abakaliki Ebonyi State capital.