A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted applications filed by the police to remand 124 arrested #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters for 60 days pending the conclusion of an investigation.
Presiding judge Justice Emeka Nwite, in separate rulings on ex-parte motions moved by Ibrahim Mohammed, counsel for the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), granted the interim order to remand the suspects until the conclusion of the investigation.
Justice Nwite equally ordered that the suspects who are minors in the applications be remanded in Borstal Home of the correctional centre pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The judge, in the first motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1154/2024 moved by Mohammed on August 14, 2024, a certified true copy (CTC) of the order obtained on Saturday, August 24, directed that the suspects be remanded for 60 days pending the conclusion of the investigation and legal advice from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The IGP, in the motion dated August 8 but filed August 9, sued 75 protesters with their ages ranging between 14 and 34 years.
They were alleged to have committed offences of acts of terrorism, treason, and treasonable felonies.
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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, 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.
A Litigation Secretary of Legal and Prosecution Section, Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, Elizabeth Ogochukwu, deposed to the affidavit in support of the motion.
She said the IGP’s office, through the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), received a damning credible intelligence report of planned violent uprising against the government of the states and Nigeria.
Ogochukwu said the suspects were arrested in Abuja and various states in possession of many Russian flags and other incriminating exhibits, while others are still at large.
She said investigations into the matter had commenced, adding that the defendants made voluntary statements, mostly admitting the crime which reasonably suspected them to be members of proscribed terrorist groups.
The judge, however, directed that the underage protesters be remanded in Borstal Home of the correctional centre and adjourned the case until October 23 for mention.
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