The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the jail remand of 10 activists arrested in reference to the latest starvation protest within the nation.
But the civil rights group, Amnesty International, condemned the trial of the prosecution by the Federal Government, describing the fees as trumped-up and sham.
Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that the defendants, together with a pregnant lady, Angel Innocent, be remanded in Kuje and Suleja correctional centres until September 11 for the listening to of their bail functions.
Apart from Innocent, who claimed to be pregnant, the opposite defendants are Michael Adaramoye, alias Lenin; Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Simon, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khakis and Abdusalam Zubairu.
The decide gave the order shortly after the police arraigned the defendants on six counts, bordering on treason and conspiracy to incite mutiny with the intent to destabilise Nigeria.
In the cost, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, the defendants had been equally accused of levying battle towards the state to intimidate President Bola Tinubu by attacking and injuring law enforcement officials and burning police stations, a excessive court docket complicated, the Nigerian Communications Commission complicated, Kano printing press, Kano State Government House, and several other different buildings.
The police advised the court docket that the defendants acted opposite to and had been liable to punishment underneath Section 97 of the Penal Code.
But when the fees had been learn to them, all the ten defendants pleaded not responsible.
Their legal professionals, took turns, to induce the court docket to confess them to bail.
Counsel for the first and third defendants, Marshall Abubakar, argued that there was no provision within the Administration of Criminal Justice Act that warrants a written utility for bail.
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Insisting that his shoppers had been mere protesters, Abubakar described the treason prices towards them as weird.
“The protesters had been merely exercising their rights. My Lord may even recall that the defendants have been in custody lengthy earlier than the mentioned (remand) order was granted. In reality, some for 30 days and a few for 28 days.
“We are applying under the fundamental legal footing, both judicial and statutory from the authorities, that this honourable court admits the 1st and 3rd defendants to bail. We urge Your Lordship to admit the defendants to bail in the most liberal terms.”
Counsel for the ninth defendant, Hamza Dantani, advised the court docket that his shopper was severely sick and affected by bronchial asthma.
He mentioned, “On behalf of the ninth defendant, we equally align ourselves with the submission of the defendants.
“The 9th defendant is seriously battling with ill health. He was granted administrative bail before he was rearrested. He is an asthmatic patient, and in the interest of justice, we pray Your Lordship to admit him to bail as he has never had any criminal record in the past; he will not jump bail if granted,” Dantani mentioned.
Similarly, counsel for the sixth, seventh and eighth defendants, Deji Adeyanju, appealed to Justice Nwite to make use of the discretion of the court docket to grant his shoppers bail as they had been solely protesting.
“The case of the prosecution is specifically weak against my clients, My Lord. They said in their witness statements that they just participated in a protest, not treason. The proof of evidence before the court is issues of primary school and secondary school; how does that amount to treason? My Lord, we are asking the court to grant them bail in liberal terms. They are law-abiding citizens; none of the defendants is a criminal, none of them will jump bail,” he mentioned.
The prosecution counsel, Simon Lough (SAN), nonetheless, opposed the oral bail submissions, whereas additionally insisting on the treason prices towards the defendants.
“Bail can only be granted in exceptional circumstances; those exceptional circumstances as listed in the ACJA,” the SAN mentioned.
After listening to the events, Justice Nwite adjourned until September 11 for ruling, whereas ordering that the defendants be remanded in custody until then.
But civil rights group, Amnesty International Nigeria, condemned the trial of the protesters, describing their trial as a sham.
In an announcement on Monday, the Country Director of Amnesty International, Isa Sanusi, mentioned the fees towards the protesters confirmed how far the authorities would go to control the justice system to silence important voices.
“Some of the fees filed towards the protesters, starting from treason, which carries the demise penalty, to allegations of a ‘plan to destabilise Nigeria,’ present how far Nigerian authorities can go in manipulating the legal justice system to silence important voices. These are blatantly trumped-up prices that have to be instantly withdrawn.
“We condemn these sham trials even earlier than they start and name for an finish to those countless, weird makes an attempt to deprive folks of the correct to peaceable protest. What goes to occur to those protesters — who took to the streets final month in search of good governance — is a disguised train solely aimed toward punishing dissenters.
“These attempts by President Bola Tinubu’s government to charge those who protested against widespread poverty and rampant corruption with treason is beyond absurd and baseless. The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested from 1-10 August for exercising their right to peaceful assembly, instead of subjecting them to an unfair trial just to justify detaining them unlawfully,” the organisation mentioned.
Kano orders probe
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, on Monday inaugurated a 14-member judicial fee of inquiry to analyze the latest #EndBadGovernance protests, which degenerated into violence within the state.
“The commission was constituted in fulfillment of my promise to the protesters, who assembled at the Government House to express their grievances,” an announcement on Monday quoted the governor as saying.
While acknowledging their proper to peaceable protest Yusuf invited them to current their calls for for onward submission to the President.
“Unfortunately, the protest was hijacked by hoodlums, who ransacked and destroyed properties, value billions of naira, together with the NCC digital constructing, courts, and information.
“In my capacity as the Executive Governor of Kano State, I’m assuring the commission of a free hand, as well as maximum support to carry out their duties diligently, just as I’ve advised them to seek guidance from relevant stakeholders, including Ulamas and prison authorities, to ensure a comprehensive investigation,” the governor mentioned.
The governor mentioned the fee’s findings would assist the state authorities to take acceptable actions and stop future occurrences of such violence.