A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted applications filed by the police to remand 124 arrested #EndBadGovernance protesters for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigation.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in separate rulings on ex-parte motions
moved by Ibrahim Mohammed, counsel for the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police,
granted the interim order to remand the suspects until conclusion of
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.
In the first motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1154/2024,
moved by Mohammed on August 14, but with a certified true copy (CTC) of the
order obtained by NAN, the judge directed that the suspects be remanded for 60
days pending the conclusion of investigation and legal advice from the
Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The I-G, in the motion dated Aug. 8 but filed Aug. 9, sued
75 protesters with ages ranging between 14 and 34 years.
They include Abubakar Ibrahim (18), Abubakar Adam (19),
Suleiman Ali (16), Mubarak Mas’ud (23), Umar Musa (19), Aminu Hussaini (20),
Umar Kabir (23), Ibrahim Musa (24), Abba Usman (30), Umar Inusa (18), Tasi’u
Lawan (17), Ibrahim Rabi’u (16), and Jamilu Haruna (16).
The suspects also include Muktar Yahaya (17). Abdulbasit
Abdulsalam (34), Salisu Adamu (16), Bilal Auwalu (15), Abdul’aziz Adam (15),
Sadiq Sunusi (15), Muhd Musa (14), Usman Amiru (14), Abdulganiyu Musa (15),
Muhd Yahaya (19), and Sunusi Nura (14), among others.
They were alleged to have committed acts of terrorism,
treason, and treasonable felonies, including arson and terrorism.
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, and 412 of the
of the Penal Code Act; and Section 4 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17
Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and other enabling statutes.
Miss Elizabeth Ogochukwu, a Litigation Secretary of Legal
and Prosecution Section, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Police Force
Headquarters, Abuja, deposed to the affidavit in support of the motion.
She said the I-G’s office, through the office of the
National Security Adviser (NSA), received a damningly credible intelligence
report of a planned violent uprising against the government of the states and
the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Ogochukwu averred that “the planned violent insurrection was
believed to have been orchestrated by terrorist groups both within and outside
Nigeria to unleash terror against the sovereign states of Nigeria, scheduled to
start from the 1st day of August, 2015.”
She said, “Despite serious security measures intensified by
the various law enforcement agencies, the planned protest took place as
scheduled and seriously intimidated the populace and seriously destabilised or
destroyed the fundamental, political, constitutional, economic, or social
structures of some parts of Nigeria.
“That the violent protest causes death and bodily harm to
citizens of the country and led to arson and wanton destructions of government
or public and private facilities, transport systems, and infrastructural
facilities in Nigeria.
“That the suspects were arrested in the actual act of
rampage and reasonably suspected to be complicit in the crime, which calls for
district investigations.
*That the suspects/defendants herein were found to have been
carrying Russian flags, banners, placards, and slogans agitating for sovereign
invasion of Nigerian territory to destabilise or overthrow the sovereign state
of Nigeria by the Russian government.”
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, and
the defendants made voluntary statements, mostly admitting the crime, which
reasonably suspected them to be members of proscribed terrorist groups.
She said the investigators had to travel to various states
to discover and apprehend the sponsors of this heinous crime for effective
prosecution, and the same would not be completed within the time frame
contemplated by the constitution, which necessitated the application.
She said that “time is required to complete investigation
thoroughly and obtain legal advice from the office” of the AGF as most of the
prime suspects are still at large.
Ogochukwu averred that the suspects admitted the commission
of the offence.
According to her, the suspects/defendants are now in
detention in police cells, which are congested and pose serious health
challenges to the inmates, and possibility of attack or escape will be ruled
out.
Also, in the second ex-parte motion marked:
FHC/ABJ/CS/1223/2024, moved by Mohammed on Thursday, Justice Nwite ordered
another set of 49 defendants to be remanded for 60 days pending the conclusion
of the investigation.
“That an order of this Honourable Court is hereby made
committing the defendants to a correctional centre pursuant to Section 299 of
the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015,” he said in the CTC of
the order sighted on Saturday in Abuja.
The judge, who directed that the underage defendants be
remanded in Borstal Home of the correctional centre, adjourned the case until
Oct. 23 for mention.
The motion, dated Aug. 20, was filed on Aug. 21.
Giving four grounds why the application should be granted,
the lawyer said that the defendants engaged in the offence of terrorism
financing in order to overthrow a democratically elected government.
Mohammed alleged that the defendants were supporting some
disgruntled elements that were flying the flag of another country in Nigeria.
He alleged that the defendants conspired with some foreign
nationals to take over the sovereign nation, which is a treasonable felony.
A detective attached to the Force Criminal Investigation
Department, Abuja, Gregory Woje, in the affidavit in support of the ex-parte
motion, deposed that preliminary investigation revealed that some suspects
arrested were being recruited by some financiers to cause mayhem and destroy
life and property.
“That preliminary investigation further revealed that the
financiers were sending money to recruit the indigents and other vulnerable
individuals to carry banners and overthrow a democratically elected government.
“That preliminary investigation further reveals that some
foreign nationals were the heads in the unscrupulous act of treasonable felony
and promoting terrorism financing in Nigeria,” he averred.
Woje said the acts of the accused persons are akin to the
offences of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony,
cyberstalking, and cyberbullying.
He said it is the function of the police to stop the act by
appending the offenders as offences to one, which is an offence to all.
Some of the defendants include Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo,
Michael Adaramuye, Musiu Sadiq, Buhari Lawal, Love Angel Innocent, Suleiman
Yakubu, Yunusa Aliyu, Ahmad Nasir, Muhammed Sani, Iliyasu Anas, Abdullahi Sani,
and Gaddafi Muhammed.
They also include Jibrin Abdulhakim, Mahmud Umar, Kabiru
Rabiu, Aminu Muhammed, Sagir Hassan, Lukman Abubakar, and Ahmed Isah.
Others are Abdullahi Abdulwahab, Hassan Muhammad, Abdullahi
Salisu, Sabo Murtala, Fahad Ibrahim, Umar Yakubu, Zakari Yakubu, and Ahmed
Haruna, among others. (NAN)
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