Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters in custody.
On Monday, nine male protesters were sent to Kuje Prison, while one female protester was remanded in Suleja Prison. The court has scheduled their trial and ruling on bail applications for September 11.
The protesters, who were arraigned on charges of treason, mutiny, and intent to destabilize Nigeria, include Michael Adaramoye (also known as Lenin), Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Simon, and Angel Innocent.
Others facing charges are Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis, and Abdulsalam Zubairu. All 10 defendants pleaded not guilty to the six charges brought against them, which include conspiracy to commit felony, inciting mutiny, and waging war against the state—offenses punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
The protesters are accused of attempting to intimidate President Bola Tinubu by allegedly attacking police officers, burning police stations, and damaging government and private property during the demonstrations.
The #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place from August 1 to 10, were sparked by widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s economic policies, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of forex windows.
The protesters also called for measures to address food shortages, unemployment, and government waste, as well as reforms of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Responding to the arraignment, Amnesty International Nigeria Director Isa Sanusi condemned the trials as “sham” and called for the immediate release of the detained protesters.Sanusi criticized the government for prioritizing the punishment of protesters over investigating the deaths of several demonstrators across various states, including Kano, Katsina, and Maiduguri, during the protests.
The police reported seven deaths related to the protests but denied that security forces were responsible for any of the fatalities.
