Pro Biafra detainees: Presiding Magistrate adjourns again to November 26

Says court lacks jurisdiction over matter, can’t grant bail application
Inter-society slams DSS for failure to produce Nnamdi Kanu in court
PORT HARCOURT—PRESIDING Magistrate of a Chief Magistrate’s court, in Port Harcourt, Mr. Andrew Jaja, yesterday, ordered that 44 pro Biafra supporters arrested in connection with a protest by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in Port Harcourt, recently  be remanded again in prison custody till November 26.
In another development, a human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Inter-society, based in Onitsha, Anambra State, has described the failure of the Department of State Services, DSS, to reproduce the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu before an Abuja Municipal Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 2, last Thursday, as an extra-judicial captivity.
Jurisdiction
At the resumed sitting of the Port-Harcourt Magistrate court, yesterday on bail application by counsels to the protesters, the Presiding Magistrate, Mr. Andrew Jaja said his court lacked jurisdiction over the matter since the protesters  were charged for treasonable felony, a capital offence.
He also said the court lacked powers to grant bail to the accused because the offence for which they were charged was beyond the magistrate’s court.
Before adjourning the matter to  November 26,  the Presiding Magistrate ordered that the original case file   be duplicated and copies sent to  the Director of Public Prosecutions,, DPP, for further investigation and advice.
He further asked that the accused be remanded in prison custody till  November 26.   The Magistrate this time did not allow counsels to the accused to canvass for bail of their clients, saying that they were granted fair hearing at the first sitting of the court,
He further explained that the absence of the accused in court, yesterday, was in compliance with section 100 of the Criminal Procedure Act.


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