By Aaior K. Comfort
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted a variation of bail for five #EndBadGovernance protesters on Monday, reducing the bail amount to N5 million each.
According to reports, five out of ten protesters, who were previously remanded in prison by the Federal Government, had struggled to meet the original bail conditions. Marshall Abubakar, the counsel for the 1st, 2nd, and 4th defendants, noted that some protesters were unable to secure a surety with landed property in Abuja, which was one of the bail requirements.
On September 11, Justice Nwite had initially set bail for all ten protesters at a total of N100 million, with each required to pay N10 million and secure a surety of the same amount. The Court stipulated that the sureties must reside in Abuja, own property in the city, and deposit their property documents with the court registrar. Additionally, both defendants and sureties were required to submit their international passports and recent passport photographs to the registrar.
Following a defense appeal against the stringent bail terms for the five defendants unable to meet the original requirements, Justice Nwite subsequently reduced the total bail amount to N25 million for the five requesting the variation. The new conditions specify N5 million bail each, with one surety of the same amount. The surety must be a close relative, specifically a parent or another blood relative residing within the jurisdiction if neither parent is available.
The ten defendants—Michael Adaramoye (also known as Lenin), Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nurudeen Khamis, and Abduldalam Zubair—face six counts, including treason, conspiracy to commit a felony, inciting mutiny, and attempting to destabilize Nigeria. These offenses are punishable under Section 97 of the penal code.
The accusations against them include attempting to force their way into the seat of power, burning down a police station, and injuring officers. The Federal Government also alleges that they incited the public against the government and destroyed public properties, including a police station, the High Court complex, and facilities of the National Communications Commission.
The defendants, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them by the Inspector General of Police.