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#EndBadGovernance: Court Approves 60-Day Remand for 124 Protesters |
A Federal High Court in Abuja has approved police applications to remand 124 #EndBadGovernance protesters for 60 days while investigations continue.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the interim order in separate rulings on ex-parte motions filed by Ibrahim Mohammed, counsel for the Inspector-General of Police. The judge also ordered that minors among the suspects be remanded in Borstal Home of the correctional centre.
In the first motion ex-parte, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1154/2024 and moved by Mohammed on August 14, the judge directed that the suspects be remanded for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigations and legal advice from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The Inspector-General's motion, dated August 8 and filed on August 9, listed 75 protesters aged between 14 and 34 years. Among them were Abubakar Ibrahim (18), Abubakar Adam (19), Suleiman Ali (16), Mubarak Mas’ud (23), and others.
The suspects face charges including acts of terrorism, treason, arson, and terrorism. The police cited violations of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, the Criminal Code Act, the Penal Code Act, and the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Elizabeth Ogochukwu, a Litigation Secretary at the Legal and Prosecution Section, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, supported the motion with an affidavit. She stated that credible intelligence indicated a planned violent uprising against the Nigerian government, orchestrated by terrorist groups both within and outside Nigeria.
Ogochukwu claimed that despite intensified security measures, the planned protest took place, causing death, bodily harm, arson, and destruction of public and private property. She added that the suspects were found with Russian flags and other incriminating items, and some had admitted to being members of proscribed terrorist groups.
In a second ex-parte motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1223/2024 and moved by Mohammed on Thursday, Justice Nwite ordered another 49 defendants to be remanded for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigations. The judge directed that underage defendants be remanded in Borstal Home and adjourned the case until October 23 for mention.
The motion, dated August 20 and filed on August 21, alleged that the defendants engaged in terrorism financing to overthrow a democratically elected government. Mohammed claimed that the defendants supported elements flying the flag of another country in Nigeria and conspired with foreign nationals to commit treasonable felony.
Gregory Woje, a detective with the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, deposed that preliminary investigations revealed that some suspects were recruited by financiers to cause mayhem and overthrow the government. He stated that the suspects' actions amounted to criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying.
Some of the defendants include Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo, Michael Adaramuye, Musiu Sadiq, Buhari Lawal, Love Angel Innocent, Suleiman Yakubu, Yunusa Aliyu, Ahmad Nasir, and others. They were arrested during the protests and are suspected of being complicit in the crimes.
