Court Frees 12 IPOB Members After Four Years In Detention

A high court in Ebonyi has freed 12 members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), who were arrested on May 24, 2021.

The court acquitted the IPOB members on Thursday after the Ebonyi state government withdrew the last charges against them.

Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to the IPOB members, announced the development in a statement he published on Facebook.

The counsel said the 12 persons are part of the 36 IPOB members who have been held in prison since 2021.

Ejiofor said previous court rulings had acquitted and discharged them.

“History was made today, April 10, 2025, at the Ebonyi State High Court, as 12 Biafran inmates — part of a group of 36 held since May 24, 2021 —were finally set free in compliance with successive court orders discharging and acquitting them of all charges,” he wrote.

“This victory follows a formal application by the Ebonyi State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), who in acknowledgement of repeated judicial pronouncements, withdrew the latest charge filed against these 12 individuals.

“It marked a long-overdue respect for the rule of law and a reaffirmation of their innocence, which courts had upheld time and again.

“In line with the court’s directive, I personally ensured the handover of the released individuals, an order promptly complied with by the prison authorities.

“Our legal team remains relentless and fully committed to securing the freedom of the remaining detainees, who have also been discharged and acquitted by no fewer than four different high courts in Ebonyi state.

“Their release is no longer a matter of if but when, and that moment draws closer by the day. Justice may be delayed, but it shall not be denied.”