BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has remanded 9 EndBadGovernance protesters in the Kuje Correctional Centre until September 11.
This followed the arraignment of ten persons who had participated in the August protests by the federal government before the court on a six-count charge of treason, inciting to mutiny, Intimidating the President, destabilizing the country and destruction of public property, among others.
The defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/ CR/454/2024 include Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (aka Lenin): Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi ; Suleiman Yakubu;Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simon (aka Sob-S!); Angel Love Innocent (aka Loveth); Buhari Lawal;Mosiua Sadiq;Bashir Bello (aka Murtala); Nuradeen Khamis
and Abdulsalam Zubairu.
The 10 defendants pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police( IGP).
At their arraignment on Monday, lawyers to the defendants moved an oral application before the court for bail which was opposed by the prosecuting counsel who argued that some of the charges carried with it capital punishment.
Ruling, Justices Nwite remanded nine of the defendants at the Federal Correctional Service in Kuje while the only lady among them, Angel Love Innocent who is said to pregnant,was remanded at the Federal Correctional Service in Suleja, Niger State, pending a ruling on their bail applications.
The #EndBadGoveranceInNigeria protests, which commenced on August 1 and ended on 10, were in response to the economic hardship experienced by the citizens.
The IGP specifically accused the protesters of acting in concert and conspiring, with the intention to destabilise the country, to commit a felony, to wit: treason, between July 1 and August 4, 2024.
The IGP said the offence was contrary to Section 95 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
The IGP also said, “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, (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.”
The IGP added that the protesters, between July 1, 2024, and August 10, 2024, in Abuja FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, in collaboration with Andrew Wynne (aka Andrew Povich) a British Citizen, with the intent to destabilise Nigeria, waged 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 Karo, Kadama Investment and Promotions Agency office, NURTW office and several other buildings.
The IGP said the offence was contrary to Section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LEN 204.
Also, the defendants were accused of collaborating with Wynne, a British Citizen, with the intent to destabilise Nigeria, incited disaffection to the government by inciting public disturbance while carrying placards with the inscription ‘end bad government’ and several other inscriptions to incite disaffection to the government.
The IGP said they committed an offence contrary to Section 416 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 204.
