12 IPOB Members Released From Prison After Four Years Detention

Twelve members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who had been incarcerated since May 24, 2021, have regained their freedom.

Naija News reports that the individuals were released from prison on Thursday, April 10, 2025, following a ruling by the Ebonyi State High Court.

This decision represents a significant legal triumph after nearly four years of imprisonment.

The information was shared by the legal representative for IPOB, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, in a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday.

These detainees were part of a larger group of 36 individuals arrested in 2021 and had previously been discharged and acquitted in earlier court decisions.

However, they remained in custody due to delays in implementing those rulings.

Their release was facilitated by the formal withdrawal of the latest charges against them by the Ebonyi State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), acknowledging prior judicial decisions.

“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,” Ejiofor wrote.

Barrister Ejiofor, who described the development as “a long-overdue respect for the rule of law,” oversaw the release process and confirmed that prison authorities complied promptly with the court’s directive to hand over the detainees to him.

“Our legal team remains relentless and fully committed to securing the freedom of the remaining detainees—men who have also been discharged and acquitted by no fewer than four different High Courts in Ebonyi State,” he added.

Although 12 of the detainees have been released, the situation for the others remains uncertain. Ejiofor conveyed a sense of hope, asserting that their release is not a question of if, but rather when, and that this moment approaches with each passing day.