A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the police permission to remand 124 arrested #EndBadGovernance protesters for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigations. Justice Emeka Nwite made this ruling in separate ex-parte motions moved by Ibrahim Mohammed, counsel for the Inspector-General of Police.
The judge ordered that the suspects, including minors, be remanded in the Borstal Home of the correctional center pending the conclusion of the investigation. The police alleged that the suspects committed acts of terrorism, treason, and treasonable felonies, including arson and terrorism.
The suspects, aged between 14 and 34, were accused of carrying Russian flags and banners, agitating for the sovereign invasion of Nigerian territory to destabilize or overthrow the government. The police claimed that investigations had commenced, and the defendants made voluntary statements, mostly admitting to the crime.
Miss Elizabeth Ogochukwu, a Litigation Secretary, deposed to the affidavit in support of the motion, stating that the planned violent insurrection was believed to have been orchestrated by terrorist groups within and outside Nigeria. She said the suspects were arrested in Abuja and various states with many Russian flags and incriminating exhibits.
In the second ex-parte motion, Justice Nwite ordered another set of 49 defendants to be remanded for 60 days pending the conclusion of the investigation. The judge directed that underage defendants be remanded in the Borstal Home of the correctional center and adjourned the case until October 23 for mention.
The lawyer, Mohammed, alleged that the defendants engaged in terrorism financing to overthrow a democratically elected government and conspired with foreign nationals to take over the sovereign nation, a treasonable felony. A detective attached to the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, Gregory Woje, said preliminary investigations revealed that suspects were being recruited by financiers to cause mayhem and destroy life and property.
