Court jails Eze Ndigbo for parading as chief in Lagos
The Lagos State High Court sitting in Tafa Balewa Square, on Thursday, found the self-styled Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Frederick Nwajagu, guilty of falsely parading himself as a titled chief in Lagos State, contrary to the law of the state.
The court, therefore, sentenced him to one year imprisonment without an option bail.
However, Nwajuga, who has been in prison custody as an awaiting-trial inmate since 2023, was freed to go home, having already spent more than one year in prison.
In her judgment on Thursday, Justice Yetunde Adesanya dismissed the counts of terrorism filed by the Lagos State Government against Nwajagu.
The PUNCH reported that Nwajagu was arrested on April 1, 2023, following a viral video in which he threatened to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra to Lagos to protect the properties of Igbo residents.
In the 49-second video, Nwajagu was heard saying: “IPOB, we will invite them. They have no job. All of the IPOB will protect all of our shops. And we have to pay them. We have to mobilize for that. We must have our security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.”
He was arraigned on May 10, 2023, before Justice Adesanya and pleaded not guilty to nine counts, including attempts to commit acts of terrorism, participation in terrorism, support for a proscribed entity, and preparation to commit an act of terrorism.
During the trial, a prosecution witness, Mrs. Raulat Ibrahim, a civil servant at the Ministry of Local Governments, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development, testified that “Eze Ndigbo” was not a recognised chieftaincy title in Lagos State.
Ibrahim explained the legal and procedural requirements for recognising an Oba or chief in Lagos under the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State, 2015.
She noted that Nwajagu did not parade himself as any of the recognised chiefs, such as the Elegushi of Ikate or Baale of Addo, and emphasised that there was no recognised Oba or chief in Ajao Estate.
According to Ibrahim, the process for confirming a chieftaincy title involves multiple steps, including recommendations from the local government, scrutiny by the Ministry of Justice, and eventual approval by the Governor’s office.
She explained that installation as an Oba or chief also requires formal recognition and a certificate issued by the governor.
“There is no installation for a chief without proper recognition. The letter of approval, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, is what confirms recognition as a chief in Lagos State,” she said.
