The Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the jail remand of 10 activists arrested in reference to the current starvation protest within the nation.
However the civil rights group, Amnesty Worldwide, condemned the trial of the prosecution by the Federal Authorities, describing the costs as trumped-up and sham.
Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that the defendants, together with a pregnant lady, Angel Harmless, be remanded in Kuje and Suleja correctional centres until September 11 for the listening to of their bail functions.
Other than Harmless, 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.
Within the cost, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, the defendants have been equally accused of levying struggle in opposition to the state to intimidate President Bola Tinubu by attacking and injuring cops and burning police stations, a excessive court docket advanced, the Nigerian Communications Fee advanced, Kano printing press, Kano State Authorities Home, and a number of other different buildings.
The police instructed the court docket that the defendants acted opposite to and have been liable to punishment underneath Part 97 of the Penal Code.
However when the costs have been learn to them, all the ten defendants pleaded not responsible.
Their attorneys, 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 Felony Justice Act that warrants a written software for bail.
Insisting that his purchasers have been mere protesters, Abubakar described the treason costs in opposition to them as weird.
“The protesters have 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 truth, some for 30 days and a few for 28 days.
“We’re making use of underneath the basic authorized footing, each judicial and statutory from the authorities, that this honourable court docket admits the first and third defendants to bail. We urge Your Lordship to confess the defendants to bail in probably the most liberal phrases.”
Counsel for the ninth defendant, Hamza Dantani, instructed the court docket that his shopper was critically 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 ninth defendant is critically battling with ailing well being. He was granted administrative bail earlier than he was rearrested. He’s an asthmatic affected person, and within the curiosity of justice, we pray Your Lordship to confess him to bail as he has by no means had any legal document prior to now; he is not going to bounce bail if granted,” Dantani mentioned.
Equally, 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 purchasers bail as they have been solely protesting.
“The case of the prosecution is particularly weak in opposition to my purchasers, My Lord. They mentioned of their witness statements that they simply participated in a protest, not treason. The proof of proof earlier than the court docket is problems with major college and secondary college; how does that quantity to treason? My Lord, we’re asking the court docket to grant them bail in liberal phrases. They’re law-abiding residents; not one of the defendants is a legal, none of them will bounce bail,” he mentioned.
The prosecution counsel, Simon Lough (SAN), nonetheless, opposed the oral bail submissions, whereas additionally insisting on the treason costs in opposition to the defendants.
“Bail can solely be granted in distinctive circumstances; these distinctive circumstances as listed within 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.
However civil rights group, Amnesty Worldwide Nigeria, condemned the trial of the protesters, describing their trial as a sham.
In a press release on Monday, the Nation Director of Amnesty Worldwide, Isa Sanusi, mentioned the costs in opposition to the protesters confirmed how far the authorities would go to govern the justice system to silence vital voices.
“A few of the costs filed in opposition to the protesters, starting from treason, which carries the dying penalty, to allegations of a ‘plan to destabilise Nigeria,’ present how far Nigerian authorities can go in manipulating the legal justice system to silence vital voices. These are blatantly trumped-up costs that should 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 individuals of the fitting to peaceable protest. What will occur to those protesters — who took to the streets final month searching for good governance — is a disguised train solely geared toward punishing dissenters.
“These makes an attempt by President Bola Tinubu’s authorities to cost those that protested in opposition to widespread poverty and rampant corruption with treason is past absurd and baseless. The Nigerian authorities should instantly and unconditionally launch all these arrested from 1-10 August for exercising their proper to peaceable meeting, as an alternative of subjecting them to an unfair trial simply 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 current #EndBadGovernance protests, which degenerated into violence within the state.
“The fee was constituted in achievement of my promise to the protesters, who assembled on the Authorities Home to precise their grievances,” a press release on Monday quoted the governor as saying.
Whereas acknowledging their proper to peaceable protest Yusuf invited them to current their calls for for onward submission to the President.
“Sadly, the protest was hijacked by hoodlums, who ransacked and destroyed properties, price billions of naira, together with the NCC digital constructing, courts, and information.
“In my capability because the Government Governor of Kano State, I’m assuring the fee of a free hand, in addition to most assist to hold out their duties diligently, simply as I’ve suggested them to hunt steering from related stakeholders, together with Ulamas and jail authorities, to make sure a complete investigation,” the governor mentioned.
The governor mentioned the fee’s findings would assist the state authorities to take acceptable actions and forestall future occurrences of such violence.