Stringent Bail Conditions for 10 Protesters

The bail conditions given to 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters by a Federal High Court in Abuja has shown how determined the federal government is to deal with the protesters.

The defendants, who include: Michael Adaramoye, Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis and Abdulsalam Zubairu, were part of the nationwide protest against economic hardship from August 1 to 10. 

They were all arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on September 2. They pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge bordering on treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria, conspiracy to commit felony and inciting mutiny — which are punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code.

They were also accused of trying to start a war, intimidating the president by attacking and injuring police officers, and burning police stations.

Although the defendants had applied for bail through their different lawyers, Justice Nwite ordered their remand in prison custody pending a ruling on the application on September 11. Delivering the ruling last Wednesday, the judge granted the defendants N10 million each and sureties with landed property.

Many eminent Nigerians had appealed to the federal government to release the protesters whose actions were triggered by hunger and economic hardship. But the government accused them of treason because of the violence that characterised the protests, and insisted on prosecuting them.

Though the judge exercised his discretion in favour of the protesters, the N10 million bail bond by the court is outrageous. Where on earth will these poor protesters get N10million and sureties with landed property? If they had even N30,000, would they have embarked on the protest?

The bail conditions are not only perceived by human rights lawyers to be a punitive action against dissenting voices, their arraignment and trial are viewed as part of a large-scale attempt by the government to demonise protests and protesters.

This is why the federal government must learn to uphold their international human rights obligations by protecting the people’s right to peaceful assembly.