The Federal Government has officially arraigned ten protesters associated with the #EndBadGovernance movement in a federal high court in Abuja. The arrests took place in various locations including Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe.
The defendants face serious charges, including treasonable felony, which carries the death penalty, alongside allegations of attempting to destabilize Nigeria. They appeared in court under heavy security measures. Upon entering their pleas, the defendants—identified as Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (aka Lenin), Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi (aka Yomi), Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello (aka Murtala), Nuradeen Khamis, and Abdulsalam Zubairu—pleaded not guilty to the six counts against them.
Challenging their detention, the protesters cited a court order that sanctioned their arrest, contesting President Bola Tinubu’s authority in their case. In a suit labeled FHC/ABJ/CS/1233/2024, they questioned the August 22, 2024 order issued by Justice Emeka Nwite, which allowed for their remand for 60 days while investigations were ongoing.
The protesters argued, in an affidavit submitted by Paul Ochayi, that their right to protest is fundamental and referenced President Bola Tinubu’s previous participation in protests without facing repercussions. They asserted that their rights, including the right to life, dignity, health, and freedom of movement, have been endangered by the police’s actions.
The plaintiffs, led by Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo and 48 others, filed a motion on notice on August 26, naming the Inspector General of Police as the sole respondent. They claimed that the motion that led to their remand was based on a misrepresentation of facts and constituted a gross abuse of the judicial process. The defendants are seeking to overturn the ex parte order that sanctioned their 60-day detention and are also requesting bail.
