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Abuja Court Grants N10 Million Bail to 72 #EndBadGovernance Protesters, Including Minors
In Abuja, a federal high court granted bail to 72 individuals facing charges linked to their involvement in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
The protests, which spread across various states, were aimed at speaking out against government policies and pushing for systemic changes in Nigeria.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu presided over the case, setting bail at N10 million for each defendant and outlining strict conditions to secure their release.
According to the judge’s ruling, each person granted bail must provide two sureties, each responsible for the bail amount.
One of these sureties must be a civil servant at grade level 15 or above and must reside within the jurisdiction of the court to enable verification.
The other surety has to be the parent of the defendant, reflecting the court’s decision to add a layer of accountability, particularly for the young individuals involved in the case.
Initially, the court scheduled arraignment for 76 defendants, a significant number of whom were minors.
As the proceedings got underway, it became evident that many of these young people were physically unwell.
Reports indicated that some appeared malnourished, a reflection of the conditions they may have faced since their arrest.
The overcrowding in the courtroom only worsened the situation, as several minors had to stand outside the designated area due to lack of space.
In the middle of the session, four minors collapsed, causing a disturbance that led Justice Egwuatu to temporarily halt proceedings to restore order.
When the court session resumed, prosecutors informed the judge that the names of the four minors who had collapsed would be removed from the list of defendants, allowing them to receive immediate medical attention.
The remaining defendants, who were brought from different states including Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano, were then arraigned.
Each entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against them, which included serious accusations such as treason, among other offences.
The case has drawn attention due to the youth of the defendants and the significant bail conditions attached.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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