THE Federal Government will on November 1, arraign 76 #Endbadgovernance protesters before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The 76 protesters were arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano, during the protests which were held between August 1 and 10, 2024, across several parts of the country.
The protests were sparked by widespread economic hardship, leading many Nigerians to take to the streets to express their grievances.
During this period, security officials reportedly used tear gas, arrested, and in some cases, shot at protesters.
In a charge marked FHC/ABJ/CS/503/2024, dated September 27, and sighted by our correspondent on Friday, the protesters who are facing a 10-count charge are accused of intent to destabilize Nigeria, treasonable felony, treason, among others.
Of the 76 protesters, 32 are minors between the ages of 14 and 17.
The arrested protesters as listed from 1st to 76th defendants in the charge sheet are; Nura Ibrahim 24yrs, Abdulbasi Abdusalami, 34yrs, Ahmed Yusuf 25yrs, Awolu Abdulahi 21yrs, Umar Musa 15yrs, Muhammadu Mustapha 16yrs, Umar Muhammed 23yrs, Umar Inusa 18yrs, Abdullahi Sani 21yrs, Abba Usman 30yrs, Ibrahim Rabiu 16yrs, Abubakar San, 19yrs, Abubakar Abdullahi 18yrs, Amir Muhammed 17yrs, Umar Ali 17yrs, Saminu SANI 22yrs, Muhammed Musa 14yrs, Suleiman Dauda 18yrs, Ismail Abdullah 27yrs and Haruna Suleiman 22yrs.
Others are: Bello Abdullahi 23yrs, Usman Yunusa 20yrs, Umar UMAR 25yrs, Sani Aliyu 17yrs, Yusuf Lawal 21yrs, Abba Adamu 22yrs, Abbas Hamza 20yrs, Tasiu Lawal 16yrs, Jamilu Haruna 16yrs, Usman MOHAMMED 20yrs, Aminu Usaini 20yrs, Aminu Mohammed 24yrs, Abdullahi Suleiman 16yrs, Bilal Auwalu 15yrs, Umar Kabir 22yrs, Abubakar Ibrahim 18yrs, Usman Yusuf 22yrs, Abubakar ADAM 16yrs, Suleiman Ali 16yrs, Mubarak Hamza 23yrs, Ibrahim Musa 24yrs, Samani ALI 25yrs, Yahaya Sani 20yrs, Umar Sani 26yrs, Abbas Haliru 24yrs, Sani Idris 17yrs, Tashiru Mohammed 18yrs, Abdulaziz Abubakar 15yrs, Usman Sirajo 16yrs and Musa Adam 22yrs.
The rest are; Mukhtari Yahaya 17yrs, Abba Ahmad 23yrs, Umar Mohammed 24yrs, Yahaya Musa 18yrs, Umar Abdullahi 17yrs, Salisu Adamu 16yrs, Habibu Sani 17yrs, Sadiq Sanusi 15yrs, Ibrahim Sani 17yrs, Mustapha Kabir 16yrs, Saifullah Mohammed 17yrs, Hassan Mohammed 17yrs, Mustapha Abubakar 17yrs, SANUSI Nura 14yrs, Abdulmalik Auwal 19yrs, Musa Ishaku 17yrs, Abdulrahman Ibrahim 17yrs, Usman Ibrahim, Usman Fatihu 21yrs, Abdulganiu Musa 15yrs, Sagir Hassan 19yrs, Saidu Usman 25yrs, Abubakar Muhammed 22yrs, Kabiru Sani 25yrs, Muhammed Yahaya 14yrs, Mukhtar Alhassan 16yrs, and Mustapha Ibrahim 18yrs.
In the charge instituted against the protesters by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun through his counsel, Simon Lough, the protesters and others now at large were accused of the following;
Count one reads, “That between July 31 2024 to August 4, 2024, at Abuja FCT and Kano Metropolis within the jurisdiction of this court while acting in concert and with intent to destabilise Nigeria conspired together to commit Felony to wit: Treason.
The FG noted that the protesters thereby committed an offence contrary to section 96 and punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code.
Count two reads, “that within the jurisdiction of this court while acting in concert and with intent to destabilise Nigeria conspired together to commit Felony to wit: inciting to mutiny and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 96 and punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code.
Count three reads, “that between July 31, 2024 to August 10, 2024 in Abuja FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, within the jurisdiction of this court while acting in concert with Andrew Martin Wynne (aka Andrew Povich) a British Citizen, with intent to destabilized Nigeria levies war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the president by attacking and injuring police officers and burning police stations, High Court Complex, NCC Complex. Kano Printing Press, Government House Kano, Kaduna investment and promotions Agency office, NURTW office and several other buildings and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004.”
The FG also accused them of being with the intent to destabilise Nigeria by inciting mutiny by calling on the military to take over government from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by chanting ‘Tinubu most go’ “soja muskeso’ meaning Tinubu must go, it is military we want while rioting and disturbing public peace and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 413 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004.
The IGP also accused them of carrying Russian Flags and chanting violent songs unlawfully and with intent to destroy, damaged the National Communication Commission Office and carted away with doors windows, chairs, cushions and many valuable properties in the said buildings.
Recall that on September 2, Egbetokun arraigned 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who initially granted them bail totalling N100 million.
However, five of the protesters were unable to meet the bail conditions and subsequently filed a variation application which Justice Nwite granted, reducing the bail to N5 million for each of them.