The trial of #EndBadGovernance protesters will begin in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Borno today, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Intelligence, Dasuki Galadanchi, has disclosed.

The DIG disclosed this at the just-ended Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

He said those to be charged to court today were 126 suspects who were arrested for waving the Russian flag and demanding regime change during the protest, which snowballed into violence that resulted in deaths and looting of private and public assets in some states.

A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, will lead other lawyers to defend the protesters before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The protesters had been arrested following the August 1-10 nationwide protest against the hardship in the country, which was believed to have been caused by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and currency floatation.

This is just as a group of detained #EndBadGovernance protesters yesterday urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to lift its order permitting the police to remand them for two months earlier this month.

Justice Nwite had, on August 22, granted applications filed by the police to remand 124 arrested #EndBadGovernance protesters for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigation.

Trial of protesters mockery of rule of law-Amnesty Int’l

Amnesty International Nigeria yesterday described the planned mass trial of hundreds of protesters arrested during the nationwide #EndBadGovrnance protest as a mockery of justice and rule of law.

It had said over 1,000 protesters were in custody nationwide and demanded their unconditional release.

Similarly, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) had, on Thursday, called for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained protesters.

In an interview with Daily Trust, Isa Sanusi, Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, said the organisation was deeply concerned that the protesters to be arraigned today would only be subjected to another round of government’s unrelenting intent to punish protesters and demonise protests.

“We condemn the sham trials even before they began and call for an end to these endless bizarre attempts to deprive people of the right to peaceful protest. What is going to happen to these protesters, who took to the streets last month seeking good governance, is a disguised exercise solely aimed at punishing dissenters,” Sanusi said.

He said that the Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested for exercising their right to peaceful assembly, instead of resorting to putting them through trumped-up charges just to justify unlawfully detaining them.

“The Nigerian government has been wrongfully placing priority on punishing detained protesters, without saying even a word on the urgent need to investigate the killing of dozens of protesters across Kano, Katsina, Suleja/Tafa, Jigawa and Maiduguri. Many protesters were subjected to many other violations by security personnel, including excessive use of force,” Sanusi said.

Protesters ask court to lift 2-month detention order

The protesters, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1233/2024, yesterday challenged the court order issued that permitted the Inspector-General of Police to remand them for 60 days.

The protesters, In an affidavit deposed to by one Paul Ochayi, said that “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”.

They said by the actions of the security agencies, their right to life, dignity of human person, health and freedom of movement had been threatened and was being violated by the police without any justification.

In two ex-parte applications, the Inspector-General of Police sought an interim order to remand the suspects until the conclusion of the investigation, which was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite.

SaharaReporters reports that the applications were brought pursuant to Section 66(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) ACT 2022, Section 35 (1) © of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 299 the Administration of Criminal Justice ACT 2015 and under the inherent jurisdiction of this honourable court to administer justice.

In the first motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1154/2024, between Inspector General of Police as Complainant/Applicant and 75 protesters; the police alleged they committed acts of terrorism, treason, and treasonable felonies, including arson and terrorism.

The police said the offence was contrary to Sections 2(1) and (3), 24 and 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022; Sections 41 and 42 of the Criminal Code Act; Sections 410, 411, and 412 of the Penal Code Act; and Section 4 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and other enabling statutes.

The defendants are Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo, Michael Adaramuye, Musiu Sadiq, Buhari Lawal, Love Angel Innocent, Suleiman Yakubu, Yunusa Aliyu, Ahmad Nasir, Muhammed Sani, Iliyasu Anas, Abdullahi Sani, Gaddafi Muhammed, Abubakar Ibrahim, Abubakar Adam, Suleiman Ali, Mubarak Mas’ud, Umar Musa, Aminu Hussaini, Umar Muhd Kabir, Ibrahim Aliyu Musa, Aminu Muhd, Abba Usman, Usman Muhd, Umar Inusa, and Tasi’u Lawan.

Others are Ibrahim Rabi’u, Jamilu Haruna, Muktar Yahaya, Usman Surajo, Musa Adam, Usman Yusuf, Usman Yunusa, Bello Abdullahi, Abba Adamu, Isma’il Yunusa Abdullahi, Abdullahi Suleiman, Haruna Suleiman, Suleiman Dauda, Abbas Hamza, Abubakar Abdullahi and Umar Muhd Sani, among others. (Text, excluding headline: Daily Trust)

Update news