Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted bail to the tune of N10m each to 114 persons arrest for participating in the Nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria.
Justice Egwuatu granted the bail application made by their counsel, Marshal Abubakar.
The defendants were also asked to provide two sureties in like sum.
In two separate suits, the protesters in two groups of 76 and 42 persons, were accused of treason, treasonable felonies, and alleged attempts to overthrow the government.
According to a charge sheet sighted by NewsNGR, the 76 persons arrested in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, etc, includes 32 Minors, between the ages of 14 and 17.
In the suit marked; FHC/ABJ/CS/503/2024 filed on September 25, through their lawyer, Simon Lough, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the police said the protesters “acting in concert and with intent to destabilize Nigeria conspired together to commit Felony to wit: Treason and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 96 and punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code.”
The Federal Government accused them of conspiring with wanted British citizen, Andrew Martin Wynne (aka Andrew Povich) to incite the public against the government and disturbing public peace with their chants and riots.
They were also accused of conspiring with Povich to wage war against the state in order to intimidate the president by attacking and injuring police officers and burning police stations, a High Court Complex, NCC Complex, Kano Printing Press, Government House Kano, Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency office, NURTW office, and several other buildings.
On another count, the defendants were accused of “acting in concert carrying Russian Flags chanting violent revolutionary songs agitating for Russian Invasion of Nigerian Sovereign entity to topple the democratic government of Nigeria wilfully and maliciously set fire on Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) Digital Industrial Park Generator House which substantially burnt JMG Generator and you went further to set Fire on over 23 Government vehicles at Audu Bako Secretariat Complex Kano State, Properties of Federal and State Government respectively and you thereby committed an offence Punishable under Section 1 (4) (a) and (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
The protesters, initially 76 persons were reduced to 72 after four persons fainted in court just before arraignment.
The prosecutor, Audu Garba, asked the court to strike out the names of the four persons who fell sick during the proceeding and arraign the rest of them, saying the rest will be arraigned when they recover.
Justice Egwuatu granted his request and ordered that the charges be read to the defendants.
When the charges were read to the defendants they pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Abubakar, representing the defendants, applied for bail on their behalf and prayed the court not to place the minors together with adults.
Justice Egwuatu granted his application for bail in the absence of an objection by the prosecution, who only asked the court to consider the weight of the allegations against the defendants.
The judge granted N10m bail with two sureties in like sum, one of which much be a grade 15 civil servant who must submit relevant identity cards and international passport.
The second person, according to the court, must be a parent or sibling who will submit verifiable means of identification and passport to the court.
Justice Egwuatu ordered that the adults among them be remanded in Kuje Correctional facility, but said the minors be rememded separately.
“I have noted that some of the defendants are children under the age of 18 years,” the judge said, ordering that they be remanded in a coastal home under the supervision of their bail conditions.
Justice Egwuatu therefore adjourned till January 25 for commencement of trial.
Also, 42 protesters were arraigned on four-count of conspiring to destabilize Nigeria during the nationwide hunger protests.
Similarly, Justice Egwuatu granted each of them N10m bail, with sureties in like sum and adjourned till January 25 for trial.
It would be recalled that Justice Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja granted 10 hunger protesters N5m bail after being arraigned in connection with the hunger protests in Kano and Abuja.
Justice Nwite had fixed November 11 for commencement of trial.