A Federal High Court in Abuja has reduced the bail conditions for five #EndBadGovernance protesters to N5 million each, following a request for bail variation.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the new bail terms after the defense lawyers argued that some protesters could not meet the original bail requirements.
On September 11, 2024, the court initially set bail at N10 million each for the 10 protesters, with conditions that included a surety who must own land in Abuja. However, many of the protesters found it difficult to meet these conditions.
In his ruling on the bail variation, Justice Nwite said, “Bail variation granted in the sum of 5 million naira bail bond each and one surety in like sum.” He added that the surety must be a blood relative, specifically a father or mother. If these relatives are unavailable, other close family members within the jurisdiction will be accepted.
The protesters, including Michael Adaramoye (also known as Lenin), Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, and others, are facing serious charges. These include alleged treason, conspiracy to commit a felony, and inciting mutiny, which are punishable under Nigerian law. They are also accused of trying to storm government buildings, setting fire to a police station, and injuring officers during the protests.
Despite the charges, all 10 protesters have pleaded not guilty to the allegations brought against them by the Inspector General of Police.
