A Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square has acquitted Frederick Nwajagu, the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, of terrorism charges after his detention in Ikoyi Prison since 2023.
On April 5, 2023, a Yaba Magistrates’ Court had ordered Nwajagu’s remand at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre, and subsequent efforts to secure his bail were denied by the Lagos State High Court. Nwajagu faced allegations of threatening to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to Lagos to protect Igbo lives and property if the Federal Government failed to ensure their safety.
However, the court convicted him of impersonation, sentencing him to 12 months imprisonment for unlawfully parading himself as a certified chief in Lagos, contrary to the Oba and Chiefs Law of Lagos State.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya presided over the trial, which began in 2023, with Nwajagu facing nine counts, including attempting to commit terrorism, financing terrorism, and supporting a proscribed entity. On January 15, 2025, the court discharged him of all terrorism-related charges.
In a statement shared with Chronicles Reporters on Thursday, Chief Fabian Onwughalu, one of Nwajagu’s lawyers, described the court’s decision. He stated, “Eze Fred Nwajagu, Ezeigbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos State, was detained by the Lagos State Government on allegations of terrorism for making a video warning Olu Omo and other Yoruba youths to stop attacking Ndigbo and burning Igbo-dominated markets. He said he would be forced to invite IPOB to protect Igbo markets and assets if such acts continued.
“The Lagos State Government failed to prove the ingredients of terrorism charges against the young Ezeigbo. Consequently, Justice Adesanya discharged and acquitted him of all terrorism-related offences.”
Onwughalu further explained that although Nwajagu was convicted of impersonation, he has already spent almost two years in detention and was ordered to be released immediately.
While acknowledging the pain caused by Nwajagu’s incarceration, Onwughalu said the court’s verdict represents a victory for Igbo people, particularly those in Lagos facing persecution. He added that the legal team plans to appeal the conviction, arguing that the Ezeigbo institution is not subject to Lagos State’s Oba and Chiefs Law and that the conviction violates the constitutional right to freedom of association.
Onwughalu expressed gratitude for being part of the defense team, which provided their services pro bono.
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