Relief for Four Defendants as Bail Conditions are Softened in Nigeria

In a significant development, four individuals detained on treason charges related to the August #EndBadGovernance protest have received relief after struggling to meet the stringent bail conditions set by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court reduced their bail bond from N10 million to N5 million each, significantly improving their chances of an expedited release from custody.

The four defendants, Suleiman Yakubu, Buhari Lawal, Bashir Bello (Murtala), and Abdulsalam Zubairu, were arraigned alongside six co-defendants on 2 September on treason charges in connection with the August protest. The trial judge, Emeka Nwite, granted all 10 defendants bail on 11 September, but with conditions requiring each of them to present one surety with landed property worth N10 million in Abuja.

While six others have since fulfilled the bail conditions and been released from detention, the four defendants have been struggling to find suitable sureties. At Monday’s hearing, their defence lawyers appealed to the judge to soften the stringent bail terms, and the court granted their request.

Under the new conditions, each of the four defendants must provide a close relative, such as a father or mother, or another blood relation residing within the jurisdiction, as their surety. The judge also extended a similar gesture to a defendant standing a separate trial in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protest, Daniel Akande.

The 10 defendants are facing six counts of treason, conspiracy to commit a felony, inciting mutiny, and attempting to destabilise Nigeria. They are accused of conspiring with a British socialist, Andrew Wynne, to topple President Bola Tinubu’s administration, and of attempting to force their way into the seat of power, burning down a police station, and injuring officers.

The defendants have all denied the charges, with some asserting their right to engage in peaceful demonstrations and others claiming they did not take part in the protest. The defendants were arrested at their residences and various locations outside the protest areas in Jos, Kaduna, Mararaba, and Abuja during the protest, which unfolded from August 1 to August 10.

The August protest was fuelled by discontent against the economic policies of President Tinubu, which have been blamed for the worsening hardships of many Nigerians.