A federal high court sitting in Abuja, on Friday found Mr. Edmond Ebiwere, One of the Three persons arraigned alongside Charles Okah, brother to Henry Okah, the mastermind of the 50th Independent Anniversary celebration bomb attack on October 1, 2010 at the Eagle Square Abuja, guilty and sentence him to life.
Trial Justice Gabriel Kolawale in the Three hours judgment, handed Edmond Ebiwere the life sentence after considering all six prosecution witnesses testimony and exhibit Six, which validly link him with the crime committed but failed to give information to the appropriate authority.
According to Justice kolawale, Section 40b of the Criminal Code Act provides that any person who become an accessory to treason or become aware of the commission of treason and did not give evidence to the President, a state Governor or a peace officer, in order to prevent the commission of the crime, is liable to treason and sentence to life.
“I concluded that the accused person is adjudged guilty as charged, being aware early in September 2010, that henry Okah was planning a bomb attack but did not give such information to any of the persons or authority listed in section 40,b of the Criminal Code Act”. Justice Kolawale found the accused person guilty of all three count charge relating to the accused which border on whether his was in contact with Henry Okah, whether he had prior knowledge of the attack and whether he reported the threat to the listed authorities contained in section 40,b of the CCA.
Twelve people, including security officers, lost their lives with many injured as a result of the blast while Thirty vehicles were destroyed beyond recognition to protest the welfare and sharing formula of the Amnesty fund which Henry Okah was not satisfied with.
It would be recalled that the mastermind of the 50th Independent Anniversary celebration bomb blast on October 1, 2010, Mr. Henry Okah was found guilty of all court charge of terrorism against him by a South African court and sentence to 50 years imprisonment.
While the judgment was still being read, the 3rd accused person, Mr. Edmond Ebiwere kept lifting his hands up in the form of prayers and muttering ” why me, why me”.