The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted N10 million bail each to ten protesters accused of intimidating President Bola Tinubu’s administration by allegedly attacking government infrastructure, among other charges, bringing the total bail to N100 million.
The bail was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite on September 11, 2024, the date earlier scheduled for the ruling.
According to a charge sheet read to Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye and nine others at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 2, 2024, the ten Nigerians were accused of committing offenses during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest.
According to the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) counsel, Simon Lough SAN, accused the ten defendants and others now at large of working with Wynne (aka Andrew Povich) with the intent to destabilize Nigeria and intimidate the president by allegedly attacking and injuring police officers, burning police stations, and damaging the High Court Complex and NCC Complex, among others, in Abuja FCT, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and seized the moment to request bail on liberal terms.
Abubakar Marshal, counsel to some of the defendants, opposed the remand of his clients orally. He argued that, no matter how heinous a crime, a presumption of innocence still applies until proven otherwise. Other lawyers aligned with his submission, citing the pregnancy of one of the women and the health conditions of other defendants.
Simon Lough opposed the bail application, stating that the court’s discretionary powers should be used judiciously and in accordance with the law.
The judge subsequently fixed today, September 11, for the ruling.
At the resumed proceedings on Wednesday, Nwite agreed with the defendants’ submissions regarding the bail application.
He approved a N10 million bail and one surety in like sum for each defendant. He ruled that the sureties must own landed property in Abuja and produce documents of the property to the court.
What You Should Know
The Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier ordered the arrest of a British citizen named Andrew Martin Wynne and other Nigerians for allegedly inciting disaffection against President Bola Tinubu’s government and terrorism.
Justice Emeka Nwite approved the arrest warrant in an ex parte motion filed by the Inspector General of Police.
The IGP’s counsel, Barrister Audu Garba, appeared in court on September 3, 2024, seeking an order for the court to issue a warrant of arrest against Andrew Martin Wynne (aka Andrew Povich), Lucky Ehis Obiyan, and Comrade Abdullahi Musa, who are fleeing defendants in a case of conspiracy, treason, incitement to mutiny, incitement of disaffection toward the government, terrorism, and other charges contrary to sections 97, 410, 413, 416, and 412 of the Penal Code (Northern States Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004).
Garba also sought an order declaring them wanted over the allegations. After hearing his submission, Justice Emeka Nwite granted the request, describing it as “meritorious.”
