A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted applications filed by the Nigeria Police to remand 124 arrested #EndBadGovernance protesters for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigation.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in separate rulings on ex-parte motions moved by Ibrahim Mohammed, counsel for the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), granted the interim order to remand the suspects until conclusion of investigation.
Justice Nwite equally ordered that the suspects who are minors in the applications be remanded in Borstal Home of the correctional centre pending the conclusion of investigation.
In the first motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1154/2024 moved by Mohammed on Aug 14 but a certified true copy (CTC) of the order, obtained by NAN, the judge directed that the suspects be remanded for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigation and legal advice from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The IGP, in the motion dated Aug. 8 but filed Aug. 9, sued 75 protesters with their ages ranging between 14 and 34 years.
They include Abubakar Ibrahim (18), Abubakar Adam (19), Suleiman Ali (16), Mubarak Mas’ud (23), Umar Musa (19), Aminu Hussaini (20),Umar Kabir (23), Ibrahim Musa (24), Abba Usman (30), Umar Inusa (18), Tasi’u Lawan (17), Ibrahim Rabi’u (16) and Jamilu Haruna (16).
The suspects also include Muktar Yahaya (17). Abdulbasit Abdulsalam (34), Salisu Adamu (16), Bilal Auwalu (15), Abdul’aziz Adam (15), Sadiq Sunusi (15), Muhd Musa (14), Usman Amiru (14), Abdulganiyu Musa (15), Muhd Yahaya (19), and Sunusi Nura (14), among others.
They were alleged to have committed offences of acts of terrorism, treason, and treasonable felonies, arson and terrorism.
The police said the offence was contrary to Sections 2(1) and (3), 24 and 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022; Sections 41 and 42 of the Criminal Code Act; Sections 410, 411, 412 Penal Code Act and Section 4 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and other enabling statutes.
Miss Elizabeth Ogochukwu, a Litigation Secretary of Legal and Prosecution Section, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, deposed to the affidavit in support of the motion.
She said the I-G’s office, through the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), received a damning credible intelligence report of plan violent uprising against the government of the states and Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Ogochukwu averred that “the plan violent insurrection was believed to have been orchestrated by terrorist groups both within and outside Nigeria to unleash terror against the sovereign states of Nigeria scheduled to start from the 1st day of August, 2015.”
She said “despite serious security measures intensified by the various law enforcement agencies, the planned protest took place as scheduled and seriously intimidates the populace and seriously destabilises, or destroys the fundamental, political, constitutional, economic or social structures of some parts of Nigeria.
“That the violent protest causes death and bodily harm to citizens of the country and led to arson and wanton destruction of government or public and private facilities, transport system and infrastructural facility in Nigeria.
“That the suspects were arrested in the actual act of rampage and reasonably suspected to be complicit in the crime which calls for district investigations.
*That the suspects/defendants herein were found to have been carrying Russian flags, banners, placards singing slogans agitating for sovereign invasion of Nigerian territory to destabilising or overthrow the sovereign state of Nigeria by the Russian government.”
Ogochukwu said the suspects were arrested in Abuja and various states in possession of many Russian flags and other incriminating exhibits, while others are still at large.
She said investigations into the matter had commenced and the defendants made a voluntary statements, mostly admitting the crime which reasonably suspected them to be members of proscribed terrorist groups.
She said the investigators had to travel to various states to discover and apprehend the sponsors of this heinous crime for effective prosecution and same would not be completed within the time frame contemplated by the constitution which necessitated the application.
She said that “time is required to complete investigation thoroughly and obtain legal advice from the office” of the AGF as most of the prime suspects are still at large.