Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a bail variation request for five #EndBadGovernance protesters, reducing their bail conditions to N5 million each.
This comes after a previous ruling on September 11, where the court initially granted bail to all ten protesters for a total sum of N100 million.
Some of the protesters, who were remanded in prison by the Federal Government, faced difficulties meeting the initial bail conditions. The terms required a surety with landed property in Abuja, which many found challenging to secure.
In the original ruling, Justice Nwite set bail at N10 million for each defendant, with one surety in the same amount. However, defense lawyers returned to the court to request a modification, arguing that five of the protesters could not fulfill the initial conditions.
After reviewing the application, Justice Nwite agreed to reduce the bail requirements. He granted the five defendants bail for a total of N25 million, which is N5 million each, with a surety in like sum. The surety must be a blood relative, specifically a parent. If a parent is unavailable, other close relatives within the court’s jurisdiction will be accepted.
The ten protesters, identified as Michael Adaramoye (also known as Lenin), Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nurudeen Khamis, and Abduldalam Zubair, are facing six charges, including alleged treason, conspiracy to commit a felony, and inciting mutiny. These offenses are punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
The Federal Government also accused the protesters of attempting to forcefully enter the seat of power, burning a police station, injuring police officers, and inciting the public against the government. They allegedly destroyed public properties, including a police station, the High Court complex, and National Communication Commission facilities.
All ten defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them by the Inspector General of Police.
