A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to 10 protesters involved in the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations. Each protester was granted bail in the sum of N10 million.
The protesters, arrested during the protests against the government’s alleged failures, appeared in court on Wednesday, 11 September, to face various charges, including treason. Their case had initially been adjourned on 2 September.
The protests, which aimed to demand better governance and accountability, took place from 1 to 10 August 2024 across Nigeria.
The Federal Government arrested and subsequently arraigned 10 protest leaders, organisers, and participants in Abuja. The charges against the protesters include treason, inciting mutiny, and attempting to destabilise the country.
Among those arraigned were Michael Adaramoye, also known as Lenin, Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis, and Abdulsalam Zubairu. The Nigerian Government also named a British citizen, Andrew Wynne, known as Andrew Povich, as a defendant in the case.
The defendants face charges outlined in case FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, which include accusations of treason, conspiring to destabilise Nigeria, and attacking government facilities such as the Nigerian Communications Commission in Kano.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, stated that the protesters acted with intent to destabilise the country and committed felony between 1 July and 4 August 2024.
“Between 1 July 2024 and 4 August 2024, at Karshi Abuja, FCT, within the jurisdiction of this court, while acting in concert and with intent to destabilise Nigeria, the defendants conspired together to commit felony, to wit: inciting to mutiny and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code,” he said.
Egbetokun added that they attacked police officers and burned police stations across Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe.
However, during the hearing on Wednesday, Judge Emeka Nwite granted the defendants bail.
He emphasised the importance of following the country’s criminal justice procedures. “Anybody charged with a criminal offense must be presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Nwite said, agreeing with the defence counsel’s argument.
“I have carefully considered the submission of the counsel on both divides. I hereby grant the defendants bail notwithstanding the crime,” the Judge ruled. “The bail is hereby granted to the defendants in the sum of N10 million each and one surety in like sum.”
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