Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has granted bail to the ten #EndBadGovernance protesters arraigned on September 2, 2024 on a six-count charge of treason, incitement to mutiny, intimidation of the President, destabilization of the country, and destruction of public property.
The protesters were brought before the court for allegedly engaging in activities aimed at undermining national security and public order and attempting to over throw President Bola Tinubu.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, the trial Judge, Justices Nwite after hearing submissions from the defense team, led by Marshall Abubakar, and the prosecution, represented by Simon Lough, SAN on the bail applications filed on behalf of the defendants, found reasons with the submissions of defence counsel and granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N10 million each.
Among others, the court held that , the protesters must produce one surety each in the same amount while the sureties must be resident in Abuja.
Besides, the sureties must be property owners in Abuja and must deposit documents of the properties to the court in addition to swearing to affidavit of means.
Other conditions for the bail of the protesters are that, both the defendants and their sureties must deposit their international passports and three recent passport photographs with the Court.
Justice Nwite while rejecting the objections of the Inspector General of Police against the bail request however ordered the defendants not to participate in any public rally throughout their trial.
Pending the perfection of their respective bail conditions, the Judge ordered that they be remanded in prison custody.
The Defendants in the charge marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye, Adeyemi Abiodun, Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simon, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello Nurudeen Khamis and Abdulsalam Zubairu pleaded not guilty to the six count charge slammed against them by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Justice Nwite after granting the defendants bail, adjourned till September 27, for further proceedings in the matter.
Justice Nwite had earlier remanded nine of the protesters at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja and the only female defendant, Loveth Innocent, at the Suleja Correctional Service until the ruling on their bail applications.
The defendants, who were arraigned on a six-count charge preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) were said to have committed treason offence during the one week nationwide protests when they allegedly levied war against Nigeria.
In the six-count charge marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024 filed on August 30, 2024 by DCP Lough, for the IGP, the Federal Government accused the defendants of treason, mutiny and destabilising the country, among others offences.
In count three of the charge, the Federal Government alleged that, the defendants and others at large, between August 1 to August 10, 2024 in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, levied war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the President by attacking and injuring Police officers and burning Police stations, High Court complex, NCC complex, Kano printing press, Government House, Kano, Kaduna Investment and Promotion Agency office, NURTW office and several other buildings and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern states) Federal provisions Act CAP P3 204.
They were accused of inciting a mutiny by calling on the Military to take over government from President Bola Tinubu by chanting “Tinubu must go, Soja muke so”, meaning, Tinubu must go, it is Military we want, while rioting and disturbing public peace.
The Federal Government also alleged that the defendants incited disaffection to the government by inciting public disturbance while carrying placards with inscription, “Endbad government” and several other inscriptions to incite disaffection to the government.
The defendants were also alleged in count six of, “Acting in concert with a British citizen, Andrew Martin Wyanne, with intent to destabilize Nigeria and remove otherwise than by constitutional means, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, mobilized your members to force their way into Abacha Army Barack, government house, Kano, destroyed High Court, printing press and NCC complex Kano and attacked and injured Police officers in Nyanya and burnt down Police stations”
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