- Court granted bail to 10 individuals charged with treason during the #EndBadGovernance protests, with conditions including a N10 million bond each
- Justice Emeka Nwite ruled that the defendants must not participate in public protests during the trial
- Case adjourned to September 27 for trial commencement
The Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to 10 protesters who were charged with treason-related offences in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protests held in August.
Justice Emeka Nwite, on Wednesday, September 11, established the bail amount at N10 million per defendant, mandating that each provide a surety with Abuja property valued at the same amount, along with submitting their passports to the court.
Defendants plead not guilty to serious charges
Nwite said, “in the instant case the defendant applicant have shown in their proof of evidence that the defendants’ applicant is just protesters.”
The defendants, who were arraigned on September 2, pleaded not guilty to six allegations, including plans to wage war and efforts to overthrow the President, Tinubu. Their lawyers asserted that the evidence was inadequate to prove the treason charges.
Judge Nwite overrules serious accusations, grants bail to defendants
Other accusations against them include attacking police officers, burning police stations, and causing damage to other properties.
The 1st-4th defendants' counsel, Abubakar Marshal, requested that the Federal Government reevaluate the charges, drawing attention to the fact that 49 additional protesters are still being held at Kuje Correctional Centre by court order.
In light of this, Justice Emeka Nwite granted bail to the defendants.
Nwite said, “I have carefully considered the counsel’s submission on both divides. I at this moment grant the defendants bail not withstanding the crime.
Defendants granted bail at N10m each with sureties
“The bail is hereby granted to the defendants applicant in the sum of N10m each and one surety in like some”.
The court ruled that the sureties must reside in Abuja.
Justice Nwite further decreed that the sureties must possess property in Abuja and provide the property documents to the court registrar, along with swearing to an affidavit of means.
Justice Nwite ordered that the defendants be returned to prison until they meet their bail conditions.
Court adjourns case, orders defendants to avoid protests
The Court adjourned the case to September 27 for trial commencement.
Nwite further ordered that the defendants must not take part in any public demonstrations or protests throughout their trial, which is set to commence on September 27.
The defendants are Michael Adaramoye also known as Lenin, Buhari Lawal, Comrade Opaluwa Simon, Adeyemi Abayom, Suleiman Yakubu, Abduldalam Zubair, Angel Innocent, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, and Nurudeen Khamis.
“Fearless October Protest”: Only thing government understands is action, Adenola declares
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests announced a new nationwide demonstration set to begin on October 1.
Damilare Adenola, the Director of Mobilisation at the Take It Back Movement, confirmed the upcoming protests, added that the demands of the protesters will remain as they were unless new problems emerge that would require expanding them.