Four members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been convicted by germany for attacking former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu.
Afriupdate learnt that the four IPOB members have also served their sentences.
According to report, the convictions which were handed out in August went completely under the radar.
But diplomatic sources in Germany on Friday that the four IPOB members were prosecuted for physical assault and sentenced to 20 days of labour “without pay”.
![[FILES] IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu in court](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Nnamdi-Kanu-in-Court.jpg "IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu fails to regain freedom at Supreme Court 1")
According to reports, the Nigerian embassy did not immediately respond to inquiry for the identities of the convicts.
The serving senator from Enugu was beaten up by Biafra agitators in 2019 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”.
The report added that the Bavaria state police later 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
— OBA Di' Na Mba (@VykturJohnny) 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 told TheCable 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 understands 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 TheCable’s enquiry on the issue.
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