Lawyers and Amnesty International Nigeria yesterday flayed the remand of 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters at the custodial centres in Kuje, Abuja and Suleja, Niger State.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday remanded the protesters and fixed their bail for September 11 after they had pleaded not guilty to charges against brought against them.
The protesters are facing six-count charges of alleged treason, inciting mutiny and intent to destabilise Nigeria.
Those affected are Michael Adaramoye (alias Lenin), Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis and Abdulsalam Zubairu.
- Protest hits Abuja over fuel crisis
- Zamfara failed amnesty deal: How bandit Saifullahi served as ‘middleman’
The trial of the #EndBadGovernance protesters, whom Amnesty International said were over 1,000, began in Abuja, as well as in Kano, Kaduna and Borno states yesterday.
They had been arrested following the August 1-10 nationwide protest against the hardship in the country, which was attributed to the petrol subsidy removal and the floating of the naira.
After their plea was taken yesterday, prosecuting counsel, Simon Lough, requested the remand of the suspects.
But defence counsel, Marshal Abubakar, objected to the application and pleaded with the court to grant the defendants bail.
He argued that they had been in custody many days before the prosecution brought an order for their additional 60 days detention on August 22.
Another defence lawyer, Angel Love Innocent, pleaded that his client was pregnant and ought to be granted bail.
While the judge remanded the male defendants to the custodial facility in Kuje, the pregnant female was sent to Suleja centre.
In the charges, the Inspector-General of Police and the federal government also named a British citizen, Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich, a defendant.
In the charge sheet marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, the defendants were accused of “treason, destabilising the country, intimidating the president and destroying the NCC in Kano,” among others.
He said the protesters, from August 1 to 10, 2024, in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, in collaboration with Wynne, with the intent to destabilise Nigeria, “waged war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the president by attacking and injuring police officers and burning police stations, High Court Complex, NCC Complex, Kano Printing Press, Government House Karo, Kadama Investment and Promotions Agency office, NURTW office and several other buildings.”
The IGP said the offence was contrary to Section 95 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
He said the offence was contrary to Section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LEN 204.
Trial abuse of power – Lawyers
In an interview with Daily Trust yesterday, a former president of the Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL), Abdul Mahmud, described the charges and the trial as a sham and abuse of power.
“This is a display of the ‘bad governance’ Nigerians complained about; it is a display of power, as there is nothing treasonable about the protests,” he said.
Similarly, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Abeny Mohammed, in a chat with Daily Trust, said the tone of the charges with the use of ‘treason’ could be too high for the alleged offences of the protesters.
“It is easy to frame charges and it is a different thing to prove it in court,” he said.
“They did same to Omoyele Sowore when he threatened to stage the #RevolutionNow protest and after long proceedings in court he was discharged, the lawyer said.
Remand ploy to fabricate charges – Amnesty Int’l
Isa Sanusi, Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, in an interview with Daily Trust, alleged that remanding the protesters was another ploy to buy time to fabricate charges against them.
He urged the authorities concerned to release them unconditionally and focus on addressing corruption, starvation and insecurity.
“Amnesty International maintains its position that the protesters remanded in prison did no wrong and should not have been detained in the first place.
“Remanding them is yet another ploy to buy time to fabricate charges against them.
“Right from the point of arrests upto the denial of access to family and legal assistance, it is clear that the trial is not going to be fair,” Sanusi said.
Police declare British national wanted over plot to overthrow Tinubu
The Nigeria Police Force yesterday declared a British national, Andrew Wynne, also known as Drew Povey, whom the Nigerian government says also bears Andrew Wynne wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government being led by President Bola Tinubu.
Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, at a press conference in Abuja, said Povey rented a space at Labour House, Abuja, for an ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ and established ‘STARS of Nations Schools’ as a cover for his subversive activities.
The Force also declared one Lucky Ehis Obinyan wanted. He and Povey were accused of terrorism financing, treasonable felony, cybercrime, subversion and criminal conspiracy.
“If seen, arrest and hand over to the nearest Police, or to the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Department of Force Intelligence, Force Headquarters, Abuja, or call 08035179870, 09133333785, 09133333786.
“A reward sum of N10,000,000 awaits any person(s) with information leading to the arrest of each of the,” the bulletin, obtained by our correspondent partly read.
Adejobi said documentary evidence and confessions revealed that Andrew Wynne issued directives and monitored progress of the August protest and provided finance and operational guidance to achieve unconstitutional regime change in Nigeria, saying anybody who facilitates his arrest would be given N10 million reward.
Adejobi said since the commencement of investigations, Wynne had fled the country, adding that his local coordinator, one Obiyan, was accordingly declared wanted while global hunting for the duo has commenced.
Protest not treason, Briton accused of plotting against Tinubu says
Purvey, in his reaction to the government’s allegation of building “a network of sleeper cells to topple” Tinubu’s administration “and plunge the nation into chaos”, said: “Protest is not treason – release all the detainees! The mass protests over #EndBadGovernance and #EndHunger frightened the government. But rather than addressing the peoples’ demands, the government turned to repression.
“Perhaps 40 people were murdered by the police and other security forces, thousands were arrested and many still remain in captivity. In Abuja, the authorities have attacked the so-called leaders and organisers of the protests. Ten people face ridiculous charges including treason, mutiny and levying war against the state”, the accused told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview.
By John C. Azu, Abbas Jimoh & Idowu Isamotu
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
