Abuja Magistrate Court Charges Anti-Tinubu Protester Evacuated From Aircraft With Offence Of Inciting Disturbance, To Commence Trial

The Zuba Magistrate Court in Abuja has charged Mr Ujah Obiajulu, who was evacuated from an Abuja-to-Lagos flight for protesting against the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as President, with the offence of inciting disturbance.

This follows Thursday’s court ruling by Senior Magistrate Abdulazeez Ismail Muhammad on whether the prosecution had made out a prima facie case against the defendant, Mr Obiajulu.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the police in Abuja had arrested Mr Obiajulu for criminal incitement.

Onboard the flight, the lone protester declared that Tinubu should never be sworn in as President on May 29, 2023.

It was reported that it took the efforts of no fewer than six airport security officers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to carry him out of the aircraft.

In a viral video of the incident, Mr Obiajulu is heard shouting as he was being carried out: “Obidients you’re here. They are doing this to me. Obidients you’re here, I am naked. Obidients you’re here, I am going naked.”

According to PRNigeria, at the sitting on Thursday, Magistrate Ismail Muhammad said that the adduced evidence could be situated in the definition of, at least, the offence of inciting disturbance or offence against public peace.

He said, “Consequently, the prosecution has aptly established a prima facie case against the defendant, and the defendant has been succinctly fingered as directly involved.

“Against this layout and having found that a prima facie case has been established against the defendant, we proceed in the interest of justice to frame the appropriate one (1) Count against the defendant as follows:

“I, Abdulazeez Ismail Muhammad, Magistrate Grade, sitting at Zuba/ Gwagwalada Magisterial District, hereby charge you, Mr Ujah Obiajulu as follows:

“Count; That you, Mr Ujah Obiajulu, Male, of No.23 Road G Close, House 9, Festac Town Lagos State, on the 31st day of March 2023 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make some inflammatory statements against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with intent to cause or likely to cause a breach of peace to with you propagate that over your dead body, would the president-elect, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu be sworn in as president of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Thereby committing the offence of inciting disturbance contrary to the provision of section 114 Penal Code Act and punishable under the same section. And I hereby direct that you should be tried by this court.”