Germany has convicted four members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who attacked Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy senate president.
They have also served their sentences.
The convictions, which were handed out in August, went
completely under the radar but diplomatic sources in Germany told TheCable on
Friday that the four IPOB members were prosecuted for physical assault and
sentenced to 20 days of labour “without pay”.
The Nigerian embassy did not immediately respond to inquiry for the identities of the convicts.
In 2019, the serving senator from Enugu state was beaten up
by Biafra agitators in Nuremberg at an event organised by “Ndigbo Germany”.
IPOB — which Nigeria had declared a terrorist organisation —
claimed responsibility for the attack which it said “should serve as a warning”
to Igbo leaders “that any day we find them in a public event abroad, they will
be humiliated”.
Nigerian government officials later disclosed that
the Bavaria state police had identified four of the attackers in the course of
their investigation.
The Nigerian embassy also mounted pressure on the German
federal authorities to bring the attackers to justice following the initial
reluctance of the state police to investigate the assault which was captured on
video.
CONVICTED BUT NOT
DEPORTED
32 IPOB members who attacked Ike Ekweremadu in Germany were deported back to Nigeria yesterday. pic.twitter.com/8gcVe5N8ml
— Wanderlust Woman (@johnnyslek) November 26, 2020
Contrary to social media rumours, no IPOB member was
deported.
Under section 102 (1), chapter 3, of the German criminal
code, attacks against organs and representatives of foreign states are
punishable with fines and imprisonment.
It states, “(1) Whosoever commits an attack against the life
or limb of a foreign head of state, member of a foreign government, the head of
a foreign diplomatic mission who is accredited in the federal territory while
the victim is in Germany in his official capacity shall be liable to
imprisonment not exceeding five years or a fine, in especially serious cases to
imprisonment of not less than one year.
“(2) In addition to a sentence of imprisonment of at least
six months, the court may order the loss of the ability to hold public office
to vote and be elected in public elections (section 45(2) and (5).”
However, Ekweremadu was not on an official duty in Germany
when he was attacked.
The Nigerian embassy source disclosed that two of the attackers
had initially filed an appeal against their conviction but later withdrew it.
“It was only the four persons identified that were sentenced
to 20 days of labour without pay. The sponsors were not identified so they were
not prosecuted,” the source said.
Although Ekweremadu could institute a civil case against the
attackers, TheCable also reports that he is yet to do so.
A source close to the senator, however, said the lawmaker
has no interest in the issue, although he is aware of the conviction.
Emma Powerful, IPOB spokesman, did not immediately respond to enquiry on the issue.
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