Justice Emeka Nwite, of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday has filed treason charges against ten protesters in connection with the recent #EndBadGovernace protests. The charges include felony and treason, contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code. The protesters are accused of conspiring to destabilize Nigeria, inciting mutiny, and levying war against the state.
Via the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, the Federal Government charged the defendants on August 30 under the file number FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024.
Michael Adaramoye, popularly known as Lenin, Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khakis, and Abdusalam Zubairu were among the 124 individuals who were prosecuted. They all pleaded not guilty.
Shortly after the arraignment, counsel for the defendants prayed to the court to grant them bail as they were innocent until proven guilty of the charges levelled 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 that the charge brought against them was a camouflage.“The protesters were merely exercising their rights.
Canadian-Nigerian woman, Amaka Sonnberger arrested for threatening Yoruba, Benin people with poison“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 admits 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 the 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 a serious offence.
Lough argued that bail could only be granted in exceptional cases, which none 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 be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, adjourned the matter until Sept. 11 for a ruling on the bail applications