The Federal Government, on Friday, re-arraigned 10 persons arrested in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protest organized between August 1 and August 10 on alleged treasonable felony charges.
The Government, through the Inspector-General of Police, re-arraigned them on an eight-count amended charge following an application by the prosecution counsel, Simon Lough, SAN, before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The 10 protesters were arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Gombe during the 10-day protest, which resulted in violence and killings in parts of the country.
They were first arraigned on September 2 before Justice Nwite on a six-count charge.
However, they pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
The judge granted them N10 million bail each on September 11, with one surety in like sum.
Upon the resumed hearing on Friday, Mr Lough, in his application, sought to substitute the earlier charges with the amended ones, which included Daniel Akande as the 11th defendant.
Akande, a member of the Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights, was arrested on September 1 in Abuja during a church service.
After the fresh counts were read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty.
Akande’s (11th defendant) lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, prayed the court to admit his client to bail on liberal terms, while the other defendants’ lawyers urged the court to allow their clients to continue with the earlier bail granted.
The judge agreed with Adeyanju and admitted Akande to N10 million bail with one surety in like sum.
He also ordered that the defendant must submit his international passport to the court registry.
He stated that the surety must swear to an affidavit of means and reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
Justice Nwite also granted the prayers of the other defense counsel.
The matter was adjourned until October 4 for a ruling on the bail variation for the 3rd, 4th, and 10th defendants and fixed November 11 for trial.
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