The Federal High Court Abuja has granted bail to ten #EndBadGovernance protesters who are accused of treason, intimidation of the president, inciting a mutiny, destabilizing the nation, and other offenses have been granted bail valued at N10 million per.
Judge Nwite gave the defendants a N10 million bail requirement along with one surety in the same amount.
“I have carefully considered the submission of the counsel on both divides. I hereby grant the defendants bail notwithstanding the crime,” Justice Nwite said.
“The bail is hereby granted to the defendants applicant (sic) in the sum of N10m each and one surety in like some.”
In the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, the court also demanded that the defendants refrain from participating in further protests or rallies.
In the charge filed against them by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), they were accused of attempting to start a war, as well as setting fire on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) building in Kano, the Kano Printing Press, the Kano government house and other buildings.
However, the 10 defendants, one woman and ten men, pleaded not guilty to these charges.
On September 2, Justice Nwite ordered the remand of the protesters at the Kuje Correctional Centre and the Suleja Correctional Centre for planning to overthrow the federal government.
The judge had ordered the protesters’ detention after Simon Lough, the prosecutor, opposed bail applications even though the 10 defendants had pleaded not guilty to all six charges filed against them by the Nigerian police.
The defendants are Michael Adaramoye (Lenin), Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis and Abdulsalam Zubairu.
Justice Nwite adjourned the case till September 27.
The #EndBadGovernance protest took place between August 1 and August 10. It was a nationwide protest against economic hardship stemming from President Bola Tinubu’s policies.
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“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”