FG arraigns Michael Lenin, other hunger protesters with ‘plot to remove Tinubu’ from office

The Nigerian government arraigned on Monday 10 protesters arrested in connection with last month’s #EndBadGovernance demonstrations on charges of war plotting and an attempt to topple President Bola Tinubu.

 

The police arraigned them at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where they pleaded not guilty to all six charges.

 

The Nigerian police filed the charges on Friday as the government cranked up its clampdown on protesters and the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests held in major cities around the country from 1 to10 August.

 

According to the charges, the 10 protesters acted in concert with Andrew Martin Wynee (aka Andrew Povish), a 70-year-old British citizen, “with intent to destabilise Nigeria, called on the military to take over the government from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.

 

 

The prosecution accused the defendants of inciting citizens to destabilise Nigeria through the protest.

 

In another grievous allegation, the government accused the protesters of acting in concert with Mr Wynee to wage “war against the state”.

 

According to the charges, the protesters did this by attacking and injuring police officers and burning police stations, High Court Complex, NCC Complex, Kano Printing Press, Government House Kano, Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency Office, NURTW Office and “several other building”.

 

This offence is said to be contrary to section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act.

 

The 10 defendants, who were brought to court by heavy police presence, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

They include Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (aka Lenin), 28 years; Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi (aka Yomi), 34 years; Suleiman Yakubu, 28 years; Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, 50 years; Angel Love Innocent, (the only female among them), 51 years.

 

The proceedings are still ongoing as of the time of filing this report. Abubakar Marshal, from Falana and Falana Chambers, appears for the 1st to 4th defendants.

 

The fifth defendant is represented by a lawyer, identified as Hamza; the sixth to the eighth by Deji Adeyanju, and the night by Ahmed Abdulrahaman.

 

Already, the trial judge, Mr Nwite, had ordered the remand of 75 protesters, including at least 28 minors, in jail for two months.

 

The judge issued the order in an earlier case on 22 August based on an ex-parte application of the police.

 

One of the defendants brought to court on Monday, Ms Innocent, was among the 75 persons ordered to be remanded for two months by the judge.

 

The detainees have filed an application asking the court to reverse the remand order or grant them bail on liberal terms.

 

Amnesty International condemned Nigeria’s clampdown on protesters who trooped out in August to demonstrate against the economic hardship in the country.