A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered the release of three of the 10 persons charged with treason over the August #EndBadGovernance protest in the FCT.
The court ordered their release from detention, after weeks of arduous efforts to meet the bail conditions imposed on them by the trial court.
The released protesters are Michael Adaramoye aka Lenin, Mosiu Sadiq, and Opaluwa Eleojo. They were released from the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja, on Thursday. This is after fulfilling their bail conditions and completing all necessary paperwork.
The trio now join three other co-defendants who were released earlier by the court.
The release was confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES by their lawyer and human rights activist, Abubakar Marshall of Falana and Falana chambers, on Thursday.
Announcing the release of the trio, Marshall stated that “efforts are being made to get the remaining five persons released.” Those remaining in the Correctional Centre include one other individual later charged separately in connection with the protest.
One of the newly released defendants, Adaramoye, told PREMIUM TIMES that he was happy to be out. He noted that he was “looking forward to the freedom of the remaining five comrades.”
“The struggle continues, as we look forward to the release of Daniel Akande and the remaining four others,” Adaramoye added.
According to reports, the defendants were detained for weeks in police custody before their arraignment before the Federal High Court in Abuja on 2 September. After which the court ordered them to be remanded in the Correctional Centre, Kuje, Abuja.
They were in the Kuje prison up till 11 September 11, when the trial court granted them bail in the sum of N10 million each. But none of the defendants could immediately meet the bail
“As of Thursday, there are four of the10 defendants still remanded in the Kuje prison,” the report stated.
Meanwhile, last Friday, the court also granted bail to another defendant – Daniel Akande. He was arrested in church on September 1, and arraigned in court on Friday, September 27. After he pleaded not guilty to the charges, the judge, Emeka Nwite, granted him bail.
Nwite also granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of N10 million with one surety who must have property worth the bail sum in Abuja. As part of the bail conditions, the judge ordered that the sureties must submit their passports to the court. He did not attach any other conditions to the bail.
The 10 defendants earlier arraigned before the judge on September 2, include Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (aka Lenin), 28 years old; and Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi (aka Yomi), 34. Suleiman Yakubu, 28; Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, 50; and Angel Love Innocent, (the only female among them), 51 years.
Others are Buhari Lawal, 21; Mosiu Sadiq, 28; Bashir Bello (aka Murtala), 51; Nuradeen Khamis, 47; and Abdulsalam Zubairu, 37.
source: Premium Times
Follow us for more news on our WhatsApp News Channels @
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaC505jB4hdZ5Yx9g82U