A federal high court in Abuja has granted the Nigeria Police’s applications to detain 124 #EndBadGovernance protesters for 60 days, pending the completion of the investigation. The suspects, including minors, will be remanded in the Borstal Home of the correctional centre.
Justice Emeka Nwite, after reviewing separate ex-parte motions presented by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Mohammed, granted the interim order to keep the suspects in custody until the investigation concludes.
Furthermore, Justice Nwite ordered that the underage suspects be remanded in the Borstal Home until the investigation concludes.
In the first ex-parte motion registered as FHC/ABJ/CS/1154/2024, presented by Mohammed on August 14, the judge gave directions to remand the suspects for 60 days pending the investigation’s conclusion and the legal advice from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The motion filed by the I-G on August 9 listed 75 protesters aged between 14 and 34 years. Among them are Abubakar Ibrahim (18), Abubakar Adam (19), Suleiman Ali (16), and Mubarak Masud (23). The police accused them of committing acts of terrorism, treason, treasonable felonies, arson, and terrorism.
The police stated that the suspects’ offenses violated Sections 2(1) and (3), 24 and 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, Sections 41 and 42 of the Criminal Code Act, Sections 410, 411, and 412 of the Penal Code Act, and Section 4 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, along with other relevant laws.
Elizabeth Ogochukwu, a Litigation Secretary of the Legal and Prosecution Section at the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, submitted an affidavit supporting the motion. She claimed that the office of the Inspector-General, through the National Security Adviser’s office, received credible intelligence about a planned violent uprising against the Nigerian government.
Ogochukwu stated that the planned insurrection was orchestrated by both domestic and international terrorist groups, with intentions to terrorize the states of Nigeria, starting from August 1, 2024. Despite heightened security measures, the planned protest took place as scheduled, causing significant intimidation and destabilization in certain parts of Nigeria.
According to Ogochukwu, the suspects were apprehended in Abuja and various states, found in possession of Russian flags and other incriminating evidence. Additionally, some suspects are still at large.
In another ex-parte motion labeled FHC/ABJ/CS/1223/2024, moved by Mohammed on Thursday, Justice Nwite ordered the remand of 49 defendants for 60 days until the investigation concludes. The judge prescribed that underage defendants be remanded in the Borstal Home, scheduling the case for mention on October 23.
Mohammed’s motion, submitted on August 21, presented four grounds supporting the application, accusing the defendants of engaging in terrorism financing to overthrow a democratically elected government.
Among the defendants listed in the second motion are Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo, Michael Adaramuye, Musiu Sadiq, Buhari Lawal, and Love Angel Innocent. Others include Abdullahi Abdulwahab, Hassan Muhammad, Abdullahi Salisu, Sabo Murtala, Fahad Ibrahim, and Umar Yakubu.
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