Court Grants N1.1Bn Bail To 114 Protesters Accused Of Burning Public Facilities

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a N10 million bail bond each to 114 protesters (including adults and minors) accused of burning police stations, the High Court Complex, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Complex during the End Bad Governance protests, totalling N1,140,000,000 and two sureties in like sum.

Justice Obiora Egwatu granted the defendants bail on Friday after hearing from the lawyers representing the defendants and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

Nairametrics reports that these new defendants are in addition to ten defendants in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, before another court, who were accused of collaborating with a British citizen named Andrew Martin Wynne to destabilize Nigeria and intimidate President Bola Tinubu by allegedly attacking and injuring police officers and burning police stations, the High Court Complex, the NCC Complex, and other locations

What Transpired in Court

At the first arraignment proceedings on Friday, Nura Ibrahim (24 years old) and 75 others (ages ranging from 14 to 30) were accused of acting in concert with Andrew Martin Wynne to destabilize Nigeria.

They were alleged to have attacked and injured police officers and burned police stations, the High Court Complex, the NCC Complex, the Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency office, and the NURTW office, similar to accusations levelled against ten protesters in another court.

Audu Garba, counsel for the prosecution, asked the court to discharge four of the defendants who fell ill in court, adding that they would be re-arraigned once they recover following medical treatment.
Justice Egwatu ruled that since the charges against the four defendants had been withdrawn by the prosecution, “their names are struck out.”

After the ten-count charge was read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty, allowing their legal team to apply for bail.

The prosecution stated that bail remained within the discretionary purview of the court, irrespective of relevant laws.

In ruling on the bail, Justice Egwatu noted that some of the defendants were under 18 years old, and the defendant’s lawyers had promised not to interfere with the trial or destroy evidence.

He also noted that the prosecution did not contest the defendants’ submissions.

“The defendants are granted bail in the sum of N10 million each,” the judge said, directing the defendants to provide sureties in a like sum, which must include a civil servant and their parent or sibling.

He ordered the adults to be remanded at Kuje Correctional Service, while the minors would be remanded in the Borstal Home of the Correctional Service.

The case was then adjourned to January 24, 2025, for a hearing.
In the second arraignment of 42 protesters before the same judge, he equally granted N10 million bail each to them with two sureties in like sum.

What you should know: The charges against the protesters across several Federal High Courts are led by the IGP’s counsel, Simon Lough SAN.

The IGP holds the view that cases of conspiracy, treason, incitement to mutiny, incitement of disaffection against the government, terrorism, and other related offenses should not be condoned.