Amnesty International has condemned the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday for ordering the remand of 10 activists arrested in connection with a recent hunger protest.
According to the PUNCH, Justice Emeka Nwite ruled that the defendants, including a pregnant woman, Angel Innocent, be detained at Kuje and Suleja correctional centers until September 11, when their bail applications will be heard.
The activists, who include Michael Adaramoye, alias Lenin, Suleiman Yakubu, and several others, face six charges, including treason and conspiracy to incite mutiny aimed at destabilizing the Nigerian government.
According to the police, the defendants allegedly attacked and injured police officers, burned police stations, and damaged government properties, including a high court complex and the Nigerian Communications Commission building.
All ten defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their defense lawyers argued for bail, claiming the charges were exaggerated and politically motivated.
Representing the first and third defendants, Marshall Abubakar argued, “The protesters were merely exercising their rights. My Lord, these are bizarre charges. They should be admitted to bail in the most liberal terms.”
The counsel for the 6th, 7th, and 8th defendants, Deji Adeyanju, echoed this sentiment, stating, “The case of the prosecution is specifically weak against my clients. They participated in a protest, not treason. We urge the court to grant them bail in liberal terms.”
The prosecution, led by Simon Lough, opposed the bail applications, insisting that the treason charges were severe and that bail should only be granted under exceptional circumstances. “Bail can only be granted in exceptional circumstances; those exceptional circumstances as listed in the ACJA,” Lough argued.
Justice Nwite scheduled the bail ruling for September 11, ordering the continued detention of the activists until then.
In response to the trial, Amnesty International Nigeria condemned the government’s actions, labeling the charges as “trumped-up” and the trial a “sham.” The Country Director, Isa Sanusi, criticized the authorities for manipulating the justice system to suppress dissent. “These are blatantly trumped-up charges that must be immediately withdrawn. The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested for exercising their right to peaceful assembly,” Sanusi said.
He added, “These attempts by President Bola Tinubu’s government to charge those who protested against widespread poverty and corruption with treason is beyond absurd and baseless.”
