Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, wants the Nigerian government to withdraw its treason charges against protesters who participated in the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations in August.
The human rights lawyer made this request in a statement made available to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, September 11.
He was commenting on the trial of the arrested protesters in the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Bail Terms For #Endbadgovernace Protesters
Earlier, the Federal High Court granted bail to all the 10 protesters arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe, for their involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protests.
Each defendant is required to provide a surety with landed property in Abuja and pay ₦10million bail, as earlier reported.
The young Nigerians had been languishing in Kuje Correctional Centre since September 2, shortly after their arraignment when the court turned down the oral application moved by their lawyers.
Justice Emeka Nwite while ruling on the bail application filed by their respective lawyers on Wednesday held that the offence for which the defendants were standing trial were bailable and they were entitled to bail.
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Charges Lack Merit
Reacting to these developments, Falana who praised and commended the legal team, Abubakar Marshall and Deji Adeyanju, who represented the defendants in the ongoing case, maintained that the charges lacked merit and should be struck out.
He said:, “It is pertinent to point out that one of the cases cited by my colleagues and relied upon by the presiding Judge, Justice Nwite is the case of Ahmed Ebute v Federal Republic of Nigeria involving 6 Senators including Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu who were charged with bail by the Sani Abacha junta in 1994.
“In that case, the defendants were granted bail before the frivolous charge was discontinued and struck out.
“Since the right to protest against the government does not constitute a treasonable offence under the Criminal Code, I am compelled to reiterate the call for the withdrawal of the treason charge from the Federal High Court.
“Otherwise, the defence counsel will turn the case into the trial of the neoliberal policies of the Bola Tinubu administration, which caused the protest”.