By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Six persons including a female journalist arrested by security operatives at the National Assembly and charged to court for participating in the EndSARS peaceful protest were on Wednesday admitted to bail by a Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Wuse zone 2, Abuja.
The female journalist, Oluwatosin Adeniji, who was arrested while covering the demonstration last Friday, was charged along with five male protesters.
The five male protesters were identified as Yaziru Bashiru, Abdulsalam Suberu, Kabiru Gazali, Paul Akinwunmi, and Davo Chomo the only female journalist Oluwatosin Adeniji will appear in court on January 25, 2021 for commencement of their trial.
The magistrate court had last week after charging of the defendants, remanded them on “allegations of unlawful assembly and wanting to distort the societal peace.”
But their defence counsel, Tope Akinyode, argued that the allegations were “clearly trumped up charges because the protesters protested in accordance with the law.”
“Peaceful protests are constitutional in Nigeria. However, the police are known to use force to disperse mass demonstrations that are against the interest of Federal authorities.Akinyode, had made an oral application, urging the court to grant bail to the defendants
However, the presiding magistrate decided to strike out the oral application for bail made by counsel to the defendants, and instead demanded that they present a written request.
Ruling on the bail application, Chief Magistrate, Abdulrazak Eneye, granted the six youths bail after hearing the application by their counsel.
While granting the six youths bail to the tune of N50,000 each, Eneye stated that they must present six sureties.
According to the chief magistrate, the sureties would sign a bail bond of N50,000 each for the defendants.