76 #EndBadGovernance Protesters Granted N10m Bail Each 

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to 76 protesters involved in the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations from August 2024, with each defendant required to pay N10 million.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who presided over the case, mandated that each defendant must secure two sureties, each also valued at N10 million.

One surety must be a civil servant at grade level 15 or higher, with a verifiable address within the court’s jurisdiction, while the other must be a parent of the protester.

In a related development, the Nigerian government temporarily dropped charges against five minors who had been facing trial for their participation in the protests.

The minors, who had been in custody for weeks, exhibited serious health issues during court proceedings, leading to their collapse and subsequent medical intervention.

Witnesses described the courtroom scene as chaotic as the minors fainted when asked to enter the dock, prompting lawyers to assist them.

Following the incident, the prosecution requested the temporary withdrawal of the charges, stating, “The minors would be re-arraigned after their recovery.”

“A couple of them fainted inside the courtroom because of maltreatment, they have not eaten for some days,” a source told SaharaReporters, accusing the authorities of weaponizing hunger to torture the protesters for committing no offence other than exercising their constitutional rights.

One of the malnourished minors first slumped before four others also collapsed on the floor of the courtroom.

The court was thrown into confusion when the defendants, who were mainly minors, were asked to enter the dock.

Some lawyers and court officials hurriedly revived the minors before they were rushed to the hospital, temporarily halting the court proceedings.

Following the incident, the prosecution requested to temporarily withdraw the charges against them on health grounds in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

The defence counsel, Abubakar Marshal, insisted that the minors should be handed over to their parents.

The Network of Abuja Left Groups on Thursday called for the immediate and unconditional release of 76 protesters, including 32 minors, who were arrested during the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations in August.

The coalition lamented that the protesters have been languishing in prison custody for months and condemned President Tinubu’s administration for its suppression of dissenting voices.