The Federal Government on Monday charged 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters with counts c bordering on treason before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court, Abuja.The Federal Government, through the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, arraigned the defendants in a charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024 filed on Aug. 30.
10 of the 124 persons arraigned included Michael Adaramoye also known as Lenin; Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Simon, Angel innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khakis and Abdusalam Zubairu.
They were charged with treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria, conspiracy to commit felony and inciting mutiny, among others, which are punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some youths staged a nationwide protest against economic hardship between Aug. 1 and Aug. 10 in the country.
The demonstration turned violent in some parts of the country, with looting and vandalism recorded in some states. They all pleaded not guilty.
Shortly after the arraignment, counsel for the defendants prayed the court to grant the defendants bail as they were innocent until proven guilty of the charges leveled against them.
Lawyer to the 1st and 3rd defendants, Marshall Abubakar, argued that there was no provision in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJ), 2015 that warrants a written application for bail.
He argued that the defendants were mere protesters and the charge brought against them was a camouflage.
“The protesters were merely exercising their rights.
“My lord will also recall that the defendants have been in custody long before a detention order was granted, in fact some for 30 days and some for 28 days .
“We are applying under the fundamental legal footing both judicial and statutory from the authorities that this honourable court admit the 1st and 3rd defendants to bail,” he said.
Abubakar, who argued that the bail of the defendants could be moved orally at any stage of the trial, urged the court to admit them to bail on liberal terms.
Hamza Dantani, who appeared for 9th defendant, equally prayed the court to grant his client bail as he is seriously sick and suffering from asthma.
Dantani aligned himself with Abubakar’s submission.
Counsel to the 6th, 7th and 8th defendants, Deji Adeyanju, appealed to the court to use its discretion in favour of the defendants, saying they were only protesting as approved in the constitution.
Other lawyers to the rest of the defendants made the same bail request to the court on behalf of their clients.
The prosecution counsel, Simon Lough, SAN, vehemently opposed their submission for bail.
He insisted that the defendants were being tried for treason which he said is serious offence.
Lough argued that bail could only be granted in exceptional cases, which non of the lawyers had been able to prove.
“Bail can only be granted on exceptional circumstances; those exceptional circumstances as listed in ACJA,” he said.
Justice Nwite, who ordered that the defendants to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, adjourned the matter until Sept. 11 for ruling on the bail applications.
