President Bola Tinubu led government on Monday arraigned 10 out of the people arrested during the August EndBadGovernance nationwide protest in Nigeria before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The accused protesters, pleaded not guilty to the counts charges of terrorism and treason related alleged offences.

The defendants while taking their pleas before the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, pleaded not guilty to the six counts filed against them, according to SharaReporters news network.

A video posted by TVC news showed the 10 accused persons in court on Monday waiting for the court to begin proceeding.

SaharaReporters media network stated that: “The Nigerian government on Monday arraigned 10 youths arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe for demanding for good governance during a protest tagged EndBadGovernance for trumped-up charges bordering on treasonable felony before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The defendants while taking their pleas before the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, pleaded not guilty to the six counts filed against them.

The defendants were brought to the court amidst tight security.

A court document obtained by SaharaReporters on Sunday revealed that the charges were filed against 10 protesters listed as Defendants.

They are Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (aka Lenin), male, 28 years; Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi (aka Yomi), male, 34 years; Suleiman Yakubu, male, 28 years; Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, male, 50 years; Angel Love Innocent, female, 51 years; Buhari Lawal, male, 21 years; Mosiu Sadiq, male, 28 years; Bashir Bello (aka Murtala), male, 51 years; Nuradeen Khamis, male, 47 years; and Abdulsalam Zubairu, male, 37 years.

Abubakar Marshal is appearing for 1st-4th defendants, Hamza is appearing for the 5th defendant, Deji Adeyanju is appearing for the 6th-8th defendants while Ahmed Abdulrahaman is appearing for the 9th defendant.

President Bola Tinubu-led administration has secured a court order to detain 124 EndBadGovernance protesters for 60 days on alleged terrorism offences.

SaharaReporters reported on Sunday that Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja had granted applications filed by the Nigerian police to remand 124 arrested EndBadGovernance protesters for 60 days, pending the conclusion of its investigation.

The affected protesters include minors, who were accused of terrorism and treasonable felonies.

In a two ex-parte applications SaharaReporters obtained on Monday, the Inspector-General (IG) of Police sought an interim order to remand the suspects until the conclusion of the investigation, which was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite.

The applications were brought pursuant to Section 66(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) ACT 2022, Section 35 (1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 299 of the Administration of Criminal Justice ACT 2015 and under the inherent jurisdiction of this honourable court to administer justice.

In the first motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1154/2024, between Inspector General of Police as Complainant/Applicant and 75 protesters; the police alleged they committed acts of terrorism, treason, and treasonable felonies, including arson and terrorism. 

The police said the offence was contrary to 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 and other enabling statutes.

The police sought for “An Order of this Honourable court granting a remand order for the remand of the defendant in prison custody for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigation of the defendants/suspects and legal advice from the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation for the alleged offences of an acts of terrorism, treason and treasonable felonies arson and terrorism related offences contrary to 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 and Sections 410,411, 412 Penal code Act and Section 4 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and other enabling statutes.

“And such further or other orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.”

The suspects/Defendants include Abubakar Ibrahim 18 Years, Abubakar Adam 19 Years, Suleiman Ali 16 Years, Mubarak Mas’ud 23 Years, Umar Musa 19 Years, Aminu Hussaini 20 Years, Umar Muhd Kabir 23 Years, Ibrahim Aliyu Musa 24 Years, Aminu Muhd 24 Years, Abba Usman 30 Years, Usman Muhd 20 Years, Umar Inusa 18 Years, and Tasi’u Lawan 17 Years.

Others include Ibrahim Rabi’u 16 Years, Jamilu Haruna 16 Years, Muktar Yahaya 17 Years, Usman Surajo 18 Years, Musa Adam 22 Years, Usman Yusuf 22 Years, Usman Yunusa 20 Years, Bello Abdullahi 23 Years, Abba Adamu 22 Years, Isma’il Yunusa Abdullahi 28 Years, Abdullahi Suleiman 17 Years, Haruna Suleiman 22 Years, Suleiman Dauda 17 Years, Abbas Hamza 26 Years, Abubakar Abdullahi 18 Years, and Umar Muhd Sani 26 Years.

Among them are Yusuf Haruna Lawan 21 Years, Yahaya Musa 18 Years, Yahaya Sani 20 Years, Abdullahi Sani 21 Years, Abdulbasit Abdulsalam 34 Years, Muktar Ishaq Alhassan 16 Years, Sani Aliyu 17 Years, Mahmud Mustapha 16 Years, Umar Muhd 24 Years, Umar Abdullahi 17 Years, Tasi’u Muhd 18 Years, Habibu Sani 17 Years, Auwalu Abdullahi 21 Years, Abdulmalik Auwal 19 Years, Umar Ahmad Umar 25 Years, Abubakar Muhd 22 Years, Mustapha Abubakar 17 Years, Umar Ahmad Muhd 24 Years, Sani Hassan Idris 17 Years, Abdulrahaman Ibrahim 17 Years, Kabiru Sani 25 Years, Sammani Ali 25 Years, Abba Ahmad 23 Years, Sa’idu Usman Usman 25 Years, and Salisu Adamu 16 Years.

Others are Bilal Auwalu 15 Years, Mustapha Ibrahim 18 Years, Saminu Aliyu Sani 22 Years, Abbas Halliru 20 Years, Usaman Fatihu 21 Years, Amir Muhd 17 Years, Mustapha Kabir 19 Years, Sagir Hassan 19 Years, Abdul’aziz Adam 15 Years, Sadiq Sunusi 15 Years, Abubakar Sani 19 Years, Ibrahim Sani 17 Years, Hassan Muhd 17 Years, Saifullahi Muhd 15 Years, Umar Ali 17 Years, Musa Isyaku 15 Years, Muhd Musa 14 Years, Usman Amiru 14 Years, Abdulganiyu Musa 15 Years, Muhd Yahaya 19 Years, and Sunusi Nura 14 Years.

In the second ex-parte motion with Suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1223/2024, the police also sought an order to remand another set of 49 defendants for 60 days pending the conclusion of the investigation.

However, Justice Nwite has since granted the order as sought. In granting the order, he directed that the underage defendants be remanded in Borstal Home of the correctional centre and adjourned the case until October 23 for mention.

The motion, dated August 20, was filed on August 21. Giving four grounds why the application should be granted, a prosecution officer, Mohammed said the defendants engaged in the offence of terrorism financing to overthrow a democratically elected government.

The Defendants include Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo, Michael Adaramuye, Musiu Sadiq, Buhari Lawal, Love Angel Innocent, Suleiman Yakubu, Yunusa Aliyu, Ans Sani, Ahmad Nasir, Muhammed Sani, Iliyasu Anas, Abdullahi Sani, Gaddafi Muhammed, Jibrin Abdulhakim, Mahmud Umar, and Abubakar Muhammed Ishaq.

Others include Kabiru Rabiu, Hussaini Sani, Mohammed Lawal, Abdulrazak Musa, Tasiu Yakubu, Bakir Muhammed, Aminu Muhammed, Nazir Lawal, Haruna Nasir, Aliyu Yusuf, Mubai Ibrahim, Yahya Kabiru, Nuhu Umar, Sagir Hassan, Lukman Abubakar, Musa Abubakar, Idrisjubrl Alhassan, Abubakar R. Umar, Muhammad Kabir, Ahmed Isah, Abduljalal Abdulwahab, Hassan Muhammad, Abdullahi Salisu, Anas Muhammad, Ibrahim Illiyasu, Sabo Murtala, Zakiyu Ibrahim, Fahad Ibrahim, Ahmad Abdulkadir, Muhammad Abubakar, Umar Yakubu, Zakari Yakubu and Ahmed Haruna.

An affidavit of urgency, sworn to by one Gregory Woje, a staff of the Nigeria Police Force, attached to Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, claimed that the Respondents committed the offence on August 4, 2024.

He avowed, “That on the 4th August, 2024 the Deputy inspector General of Police received an intelligence on the action of some youth who promised to ferment insurrection and cause mayhem in the Country which may eventually led to destruction of life and property.

“That the head of my team was assigned to investigate the complaint to determine the allegations contained in the intelligence and investigations were initiated in that respect.

“That preliminary investigation reveals by some suspects arrested that they were been recruited by some financiers to cause mayhem and destroyed life and property.

“That preliminary investigation further revealed that the financiers were sending money to recruit the indigents and other vulnerable individuals to carry banners and overthrow a democratically elected government,” he claimed.