The Federal Government has arraigned ten #EndBadGovernance protesters, who were arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe, before a federal high court in Abuja.
According to The PUNCH, the protesters are facing charges of treasonable felony, which could lead to the death penalty, along with accusations of plotting to destabilize Nigeria.
The defendants appeared in court under tight security and pleaded not guilty to the six charges brought against them. The individuals arraigned include Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (also known as Lenin), Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi (known as Yomi), Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello (alias Murtala), Nuradeen Khamis, and Abdulsalam Zubairu.
In a court filing, the defendants challenged the legality of their arrest and detention. They argued that President Bola Tinubu had no grounds to authorize their arrest, referencing his own past involvement in protests without facing similar repercussions.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1233/2024, contests the Federal High Court order of August 22, 2024, issued by Justice Emeka Nwite, which allowed the Inspector General of Police to detain them for 60 days pending further investigation.
Paul Ochayi, who filed an affidavit on behalf of the protesters, asserted, “Protest is a right, and in fact, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, had led protests in the past without being harassed, detained, or remanded.”
The protesters argued that their fundamental rights to life, dignity, health, and freedom of movement have been infringed upon by the police without any valid reason.
A motion on notice filed by Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo and 48 others on August 26, with the help of a legal team led by renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana, named the Inspector General of Police as the sole respondent in the case.
The motion contended that the ex-parte order used to sanction their detention was based on “suppression and misrepresentation of material facts.”
They argued that the order represented “a gross abuse of the court process” and urged the court to “set aside, discharge, or vacate” the 60-day remand order.
Additionally, the protesters sought a court order to grant them bail pending further proceedings.
The legal proceedings continue to draw attention as the case unfolds in the Abuja Federal High Court.