MALACHY UZENDU, Head Editorial, Abuja

Justice Babs Kwewumi who took the decision, said it was to enable both prosecution and defence counsel to formalize their positions on the bail bid.

Meanwhile, Uwazuruike’s wife Ngozi has maintained that she was still committed to the husband’s cause, eventhough he had spent two years in detention.

"The struggle continues - it is not negotiable," she told British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

When one of the oldest Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) Chief Chimezie Ikeazor came to take over as team leader for the defence team for Uwazuruike, in spite of his incapacitation, as he came on his wheel chair, the entire court premises burst into a sympathetic mood.

Leading government prosecution counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) had objected to any informal bail application, to which Justice Kwewumi acquiesced.

It may be recalled that the MASSOB leader was arrested by state security services (SSS) operatives at his home town, Okwe near Owerri, Imo over two years ago and has since been in detention.

Some other personalities of other ethnic groups like Dr. Frederick Fasehun, founder of the O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC) and his compatriot, Ganiyu Adams, who were arrested months after Uwazuruike and charged in court on similar treasonable felony charges, have since last year been granted bail.

They did not spend up to one year in detention.

Similarly, Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), who was later arrested for similar treasonable felony and murder, has also since been released on bail.

For him, government is even negotiating with him and offering him mouth watering incentives to stop arms struggle.

But, Uwazuruike, who maintain he was on a non-violent struggle for the independence of " Biafra," is still being kept in detention.

When his matter came up yesterday, various Igbo leaders including the "Eze Igbo" in Abuja Eze Nwosu Ibe and his entire cabinet, Sen. Uche Chukwumerije, Mrs. Ifenyinwa Obegolu, Kevin Emeka Okoro, Emmanuel Onwubiko; Chukwudi Enekwenchi and many others, thronged the court premises and were able to break the security cordon mounted by both heavily armed Policemen and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives.

After the court adjourned, Chief Ikeazor, Festus Keyamo and Obegolu, wondered why government was not willing to grant bail to Uwazuruike.

They told newsmen that Uwazuruike’s mother died in May and they pleaded with government to release him to bury his mother in addition to attend to his ailing health, all to no avail.

They wondered at the justice behind granting bail to people who are deemed to have committed more grievous offence, pointing out that Ndigbo needed to something to be let out of this negative situation.

The few MASSOB members on trial and supporters who made it to the court premises sang freedom and other Christian songs as soon as they came out of the courtroom.

Mrs Uwazuruike, said the children had been affected by not seeing their father for two years.

"Our four children are out of school now and they miss their father," she told the British Broadcasting Corporation BBC’s Network Africa programme.

Mr Uwazuruike was arrested in October 2005 and has been in detention since then.

"The little one is emotionally sick now," Mrs Uwazuruike said. "He needs to see his father. But I don’t know how I could possibly take that little boy to prison to see his father."