By Dennis Agbo

ABAKALIKI—OVER 300 protesters from Opeffia Ngbalukwu community in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, yesterday besieged the Government House, Abakaliki to express their displeasure over the interference of the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Jossy Eze in the trial of two robbery suspects.

The protesters displayed different placards, some of which read, “Justice is not for sale”, “The truth must be revealed”, “We say no to Mr Eze, the Attorney-General of Ebonyi State interfering in court rule” and “We don’t want to live with robbers”.

The protesters, were protesting against an earlier court ruling in the morning, in which the Abakaliki Chief Magistrate, which is trying the matter announced the stoppage of the trial of two robbery suspects from their community, based on a letter from the Attorney General, withdrawing the fiat earlier granted Mr  Luke Nkwegu to prosecute the accused persons.

The protesters said that the stoppage of the trial was a travesty of justice.

The spokesperson of the group, Mr. Nnanna Origi, said they were not happy with the way the Attorney General interfered with the trial, noting that it was their tradition that anybody caught in any criminal act should be made to face the law and if found guilty,   should  be sent to jail as was the fate of many others in the past.

Origi appealed to the state Governor to prevail on the Attorney General to allow the trial of the accused persons to go on, since they were free to defend themselves through their counsel.

The trial Chief Magistrate, Samuel Okorogoh, had in adjourning the matter  indefinitely, cited a letter written to the prosecuting counsel by the Attorney General, which was also copied to him, to the effect that the fiat had been cancelled.