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Court Acquits Six #EndSARS Protesters After Nearly Four Years in Detention
Six individuals arrested during the 2020 #EndSARS protests have been released after spending nearly four years in detention.
The Ikeja Chief Magistrate’s Court, on Thursday, August 22, discharged and acquitted the protesters, following a legal process initiated by the Lagos State Government.
The six men, identified as Daniel Joyinbo (31), Adigun Sodiq (28), Kehinde Shola (32), Salaudeen Kamilu (29), Sodiq Usseni (33), and Azeez Isiaka (34), had been in custody since their arrest during the nationwide protests against police brutality in 2020. They had been charged with a breach of public peace, among other allegations.
In the course of the legal proceedings, the defendants entered a plea bargain agreement with the prosecution, pleading guilty to the charge brought against them.
Chief Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi presided over the case and, upon reviewing the plea bargain, found them guilty of the offence.
Despite the conviction, she noted that the defendants had already spent a significant period in custody—nearly four years—during which they had been awaiting the conclusion of their case.
Taking this prolonged detention into account, Magistrate Osunsanmi opted to caution the defendants rather than impose further punitive measures.
She discharged and acquitted all six individuals, effectively bringing their lengthy legal ordeal to an end.
The #EndSARS movement, which called for the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and broader police reform, saw thousands of Nigerians taking to the streets in October 2020.
Many protesters were arrested, and some have remained in custody for years while awaiting trial. The release of these six individuals represents a significant moment in the ongoing legal fallout from the protests.
It has been reported that Niger State and some northern states have come together and agreed to take down 979 forests in order to strengthen national security.
This was revealed by the Niger State Governor, represented by his deputy, Yakubu Garba, at the passing-out parade in Mutum Daya.
He also shared that the government will support in any way they can in order to achieve this and strengthen security in Nigeria.
“The state will make necessary arrangements to support and empower the Forest Guard families for their service to the nation. We will provide them with adequate healthcare insurance scheme.”
Nigerian news analyst, Mahmud Jega, has shared his opinion on the recent airstrike carried out by the United States in Nigeria, stating that Nigerians should not blame President Bola Tinubu for the incident.
Jega made this statement during a recent interview, where he said he does not believe many people will hold the Tinubu administration responsible, as Donald Trump had issued threats against Nigeria long before Tinubu’s administration.
“No, I don’t think many people will blame the Tinubu administration for what is happening now because President Donald Trump, when he first made the threats, it was clearly not in coordination with the Tinubu administration or the government of Nigeria,” Jega said.
It has been reported that the United States carried out an airstrike targeting ISIS in the northwest region of Nigeria. The order was reportedly given by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist elements in northwest Nigeria,” Trump said.
He added, “I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.”
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