Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to 76 individuals involved in the #EndBadGovernance protests. Each defendant is required to pay N10 million in bail, totaling N760 million, and provide two sureties to meet stringent conditions set by the court.
The sureties must include a high-ranking civil servant and a parent of each defendant. The court mandates that the civil servant be at least a Level 15 officer, while both sureties must provide specific identification and employment documents.
Justice Egwuatu specified that sureties must submit their appointment letters, last promotion documents, passport photographs, and international passports to the court for verification. In addition, they must swear an affidavit affirming their commitment to these bail conditions.
Justice Egwuatu remarked in court, “The defendants are granted bail in the sum of N10 million each, with two sureties in like sum. One of them must be a Level 15 civil servant and the other a parent to the defendant.”
The group of defendants, arrested across various cities including Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano, faces 10 charges, including conspiracy to commit treason.
Prosecutors allege that some defendants encouraged the military to remove President Bola Tinubu, and also cited incitement and other related offenses. All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
As the proceedings began, an unexpected incident occurred when four defendants collapsed while moving toward the dock. This prompted immediate assistance from lawyers and prison staff, and the courtroom temporarily adjourned.
The prosecution, represented by Audu Garba, informed the judge that these defendants had been ill and suggested they be discharged until they could return in better health.
Defense counsel Marshall Abubakar supported this appeal, emphasizing that these individuals had not received sufficient food for three days and were not in suitable condition to appear in court.
In response, the court granted temporary discharge for the four unwell defendants—Umar Yunusa, Usman Suraju, Musa Isiyaku, and Abdul Ganiu—but did not acquit them. Justice Egwuatu instructed that adult defendants who remain in custody be detained at Kuje Correctional Centre until they fulfill their bail conditions, while any minors under 18 should be held at the Borstal Centre in Gwagwalada.
Despite the defense’s request for the full discharge of the sick defendants, the prosecution argued that all detainees have received appropriate care since their arrest in August. While opposing a full discharge, the prosecution did not challenge the defendants’ bail application, instead leaving the decision to the judge’s discretion.
The next hearing is scheduled for January 24, when the court will begin a substantive review of the case. In addition to the initial 76 defendants, another group of 43 protesters also faced similar charges. While 42 appeared in court on the same day, one was granted administrative bail due to illness. The judge extended the same bail terms to these additional defendants, requiring compliance with all set conditions.
