Ifeanyi Ejiofor Condemns Secret Trials Of Igbo Youths, Coercion Into Guilty Pleas

Human rights lawyer and counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has expressed serious concerns over the recent handling of terrorism-related cases at the Federal High Court in Abuja. According to Ejiofor, the rights of detained Igbo youths have been grossly violated, with many subjected to prolonged detention, secretive trials, and undue pressure to plead guilty. In a statement issued on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Ejiofor emphasized the importance of upholding the Nigerian Constitution, stating that it is the supreme covenant between the state and the citizen. "The Constitution is not a decorative manuscript to be admired in tranquillity and discarded in moments of political expediency," he said. "It is the supreme covenant between the State and the citizen, binding alike on the governed and those who govern." Ejiofor questioned the morality of sacrificing constitutional safeguards for the sake of securing convictions, emphasizing that the right to a fair hearing is a fundamental guarantee under Nigerian law. He cited Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which provide protections against arbitrary detention and denial of legal representation. Initially, Ejiofor had welcomed the news that several Igbo detainees, who had spent over five years in detention without trial, were finally being brought before the courts. However, he expressed dismay over reports from lawyers who monitored the proceedings, describing the atmosphere as one of unusual secrecy. Some defendants, Ejiofor alleged, were induced into pleading guilty to offenses they did not understand or admit to. Furthermore, lawyers from his chambers were prevented from representing some of the accused persons, with some being threatened with arrest. Ejiofor stressed that a guilty plea cannot cure fundamental procedural defects, emphasizing that the court must ensure that any plea is voluntary, unequivocal, informed, and entered without coercion. He noted that some of the individuals presented before the court were among those whose detention had been denied by security agencies for years, highlighting a deeply disturbing contradiction. Ejiofor alleged that several of the accused were innocent and law-abiding youths arrested in 2021 and held in solitary confinement without being formally charged or afforded constitutional safeguards. He questioned the legality of their prolonged detentions, asking where these citizens were during those lost years and under what legal authority they were held. Ejiofor emphasized that prolonged detention without trial causes irreparable damage to detainees, their families, and communities. He stressed that constitutional protections remain applicable regardless of the nature of the allegations, citing Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution. According to him, the true test of a constitutional democracy lies in how it treats vulnerable citizens and those accused of crimes. While insisting that criminals should face lawful prosecution and punishment, Ejiofor maintained that due process must never be compromised. He warned of the dangers of allowing expediency to supersede constitutional guarantees, emphasizing that the struggle is to ensure that constitutional safeguards survive even when the state is pursuing those it suspects of wrongdoing.