In a significant development, the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to 10 activists facing charges related to their participation in the recent #Hunger and #EndBadGovernance protests. The court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, ruled on Wednesday that despite the gravity of the charges—ranging from treason to mutiny—the defendants were eligible for bail.
The protesters, identified as Michael Adaramoye (known as Lenin), Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nurudeen Khamis, and Abduldalam Zubair, are being prosecuted by the Federal Government for their alleged involvement in attempts to destabilize the country. They are accused of conspiracy, inciting mutiny, and attempting to force their way into key government locations, including damaging a police station and injuring officers during the protests.
The defendants, who all pleaded not guilty to the six charges brought against them, are being tried in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024. They are accused of inciting the public against the government and destroying public property, including a police station, a high court complex, and facilities belonging to the National Communications Commission (NCC).
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Justice Nwite, in his ruling, stated that the defendants had demonstrated through their evidence that they were primarily protesters. He accepted the argument of defense counsel Abubakar Marshal, who represented several of the defendants, that they should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, a principle upheld under Nigerian law.
“I have carefully considered the submissions of both counsel,” Justice Nwite stated. “I hereby grant the defendants bail, notwithstanding the nature of the charges.”
Each defendant was granted bail in the sum of N10 million, along with one surety of equal value. The sureties must be property owners based in Abuja and are required to deposit their property titles with the court, as well as provide an affidavit of means. Additionally, the defendants and their sureties must surrender their passports and submit three recent passport photographs to the court registrar.
The judge also ruled that the defendants would remain in custody until they fulfilled the bail conditions. Moreover, they have been barred from participating in any public protests or rallies for the duration of their trial.
The trial is set to commence on September 27, with further legal proceedings expected to unfold. Justice Nwite’s ruling has drawn attention as it balances the rights of protesters with the government’s claims of national security concerns. The defendants’ legal representation has vowed to challenge the charges, maintaining that their clients were exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest.
