Three #EndBadGovernance protesters charged with treason released from prison

Three of the 10 persons charged with treason over the August #EndBadGovernance protest have been released from detention, after weeks of arduous efforts to meet the bail conditions imposed on them by the trial court.

The trio, Michael Adaramoye aka Lenin, Mosiu Sadiq, and Opaluwa Eleojo, were released from the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja, on Thursday, after fulfilling their bail conditions and completing all necessary paperwork.

They joined three other co-defendants who were released earlier.

Their lawyer and human rights activist, Abubakar Marshall of Falana and Falana chambers, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday.

Mr Marshall noted that “efforts are being made to get the remaining five persons released,” who include one other individual later charged separately in connection with the protest.

One of the newly released defendants, Mr Adaramoye, told PREMIUM TIMES that he was happy to be out, and was “looking forward to the freedom of the remaining five comrades.”

“The struggle continues, as we look forward to the release of Daniel Akande and the remaining four others,” Mr Adaramoye added.

The defendants were detained for weeks in police custody before their arraignment before the Federal High Court in Abuja on 2 September, following which the court ordered them to be remanded in the Kuje prison.

They were in the Kuje prison up till 11 September when the trial court granted them bail in the sum of N10 million each. None of the defendants could immediately meet the bail conditions.

As of Thursday, there are four of the10 defendants still remanded in the Kuje prison.

Meanwhile, last Friday, the court also granted bail to another defendant – Daniel Akande, who was arrested in church on 1 September, and arraigned in court on Friday, 27 September. After he pleaded not guilty to the charges, the judge, Emeka Nwite, granted him bail.

Mr Nwite granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of N10 million with one surety who must have property worth the bail sum in Abuja. As part of the bail conditions, the judge ordered that the sureties must submit their passports to the court. He did not attach any other conditions to the bail.

The 10 defendants earlier arraigned before the judge on 2 September include Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (aka Lenin), 28 years old; Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi (aka Yomi), 34; Suleiman Yakubu, 28; Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, 50; and Angel Love Innocent, (the only female among them), 51.

The rest are Buhari Lawal, 21; Mosiu Sadiq, 28; Bashir Bello (aka Murtala), 51; Nuradeen Khamis, 47; and Abdulsalam Zubairu, 37.

Charges

On 2 September, the Nigerian government arraigned the 10 defendants linked to the #EndBadGovernance protests on charges of war plotting and an attempt to topple President Bola Tinubu.

They pleaded not guilty to all six charges.

The police filed the charges in August as the government stepped up its clampdown on protesters and the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests held in major cities around the country from 1 to 10 August.

According to the charges, the 10 protesters, allegedly acting in concert with Mr Wynee, incited mutiny by calling on the military “to take over the government from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.

The prosecution also accused the defendants of inciting citizens to destabilise Nigeria through the protest.

The defendants also face another count of conspiring with their alleged conspirators to commit treason, an offence of taking up arms against the state.

In another grievous allegation, the government accused the protesters of acting in concert with Mr Wynee and others to wage a “war against the state”.

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According to the charges, the protesters did this by attacking and injuring police officers and torching police stations, the High Court Complex, NCC Complex, Kano Printing Press, Government House Kano, Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency Office, NURTW Office and “several other building”.

This offence is said to be contrary to section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act.

The defendants, some of whom denied parricipating in the protests, have all dnied the charges.