The Federal Government is scheduled to arraign several leaders and organizers of the #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place from August 1 to 10, 2024.
The defendants are charged with alleged treason, inciting mutiny, and attempting to destabilize Nigeria.
The ten individuals to be presented before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court include Michael Adaramoye, also known as Lenin, Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Simon, and Angel Innocent.
The others are Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis, and Abdulsalam Zubairu.
Additionally, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has included British citizen Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich, in the charge sheet.
The charge sheet, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, accuses the defendants of “treason, destabilizing the country, intimidating the President, and vandalizing the NCC in Kano,” among other offenses.
The IG specifically alleged that the protesters acted together with the intent to destabilize the country and commit treason between July 1 and August 4, 2024.
Egbetokun stated that these offenses are in violation of Section 95 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
The IG also said, “Between 1 July 2024 and 4 August 2024, at Karshi Abuja FCT, within the jurisdiction of this court, while acting in concert and with intent to destabilise Nigeria, (defendants) conspired together to commit felony, to wit: Inciting to mutiny and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.”
The Inspector-General of Police stated that between July 1, 2024, and August 10, 2024, the protesters, operating in Abuja FCT, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe, alongside Andrew Wynne (also known as Andrew Povich), a British citizen, sought to destabilize Nigeria. They are accused of waging a campaign of violence against the state with the intent to intimidate or overwhelm the President. This included attacking and injuring police officers, burning police stations, the High Court Complex, the NCC Complex, the Kano Printing Press, Government House Karo, the Kadama Investment and Promotions Agency office, the NURTW office, and several other buildings.
Egbetokun noted that these actions violated Section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 204.
The defendants are also charged with collaborating with Wynne to incite public unrest. They allegedly carried placards with slogans like “end bad government” and other inscriptions intended to stir disaffection towards the government, an offense under Section 416 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 204.