A Lagos State Magistrate’s Court in Ogba has convicted six individuals—Daniel Joyinbo, Adigun Sodiq, Kehinde Shola, Salaudeen Kamilu, Sodiq Usseni, and Azeez Isiaka—who were arrested during the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
The court, presided over by Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi, found the defendants guilty of causing a breach of peace, a charge brought against them by the Lagos State Government.
The charge, as amended and read by the prosecution led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, accused the convicts of conducting themselves “in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace” on November 23, 2020, in Ebutte Metta, Lagos.
The offence is punishable under Section 168(d) of the Lagos State Law of 2015, which carries a penalty of up to three months imprisonment or a fine of N15,000.
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charge, prompting Dr. Martins to request that the court sentence them in accordance with the law.
However, their defense counsel, Tajudeen Ojeshino, appealed to the court for leniency, noting that the convicts were first-time offenders, some of whom were breadwinners for their families, and that they had already spent four years in custody, exceeding the maximum sentence for their offence.
Magistrate Osunsanmi, in her judgment, acknowledged that the convicts understood the charges and the potential penalties. She proceeded to convict them but ordered their release, given the extensive time they had already spent in prison.
The Magistrate issued a stern warning to the convicts to avoid future criminal activities.
The case highlights the prolonged detention of individuals arrested during the #EndSARS protests, raising questions about the judicial process and the treatment of protest-related cases in Nigeria.