By Olusegun Olanrewaju, Kenny Folowosele, and John Danjuma
Yesterday, there was a groundswell of hard knocks as the Federal Government docked a score of protesters demanding an end to the country’s hard living.
While many took to social media to drive home their point as the authorities arraigned those who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protests, others like NGOs and groups launched verbal missiles from the rear, arguing that the government had done wrong by docking those arrested for ‘treason.’
Netizens aroused public outrage, joined by various groups engaging in demonstrations, who condemned the arraignment at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Under the watchful eye of the police, the government had accused the protesters of treason and terrorism.
*Police declare Briton, others wanted over alleged coup attempt
The position of those now undergoing trial in the court was made heavier as the government also yesterday declared wanted, through the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Briton of allegedly plotting with others to effect a coup against the Tinubu administration.
The suspect, identified as Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich or Drew Povey, a UK national, was declared wanted for allegedly orchestrating a plot to overthrow the government led by President Bola Tinubu.
Force spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi made the announcement yesterday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said Wynne is accused of renting a space at the Labour House in Abuja under the guise of operating an ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ and establishing ‘STARS of Nations Schools’ to cover up his alleged subversive activities.
The police also claimed that Wynne was involved in planning and financing the August protests, as part of a ‘broader conspiracy’ to destabilise the country and instigate an unconstitutional regime change.
The police statement said, “The Nigeria Police Force has launched a comprehensive investigation into the activities of a foreign national and subversive elements plotting to undermine the democratically-elected government in Nigeria.
“Following extensive intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies, nine suspects have been apprehended, who received substantial financial backing from foreign sources to destabilise the country,” Adejobi stated.
*‘Protest not treason,’ Briton replies FG
In another development, the Briton Drew Povey, accused of inciting insurrection against the Tinubu government, has urged the government not to treat protests as treason.
Povey said, in a statement in reaction to the government’s allegation of building “a network of sleeper cells to topple” the Bola Tinubu administration “and plunge the nation into chaos,” that his bookshop located at the Abuja headquarters of the NLC had earlier been raided and sealed.
Part of the charges against him was enabling some #EndBadGovernance protesters “with intent to destabilise Nigeria.”
The statement on the letterhead of his bookshop reads, “Protest Is Not Treason—release all the detainees!” The mass protests over #EndBadGovernance and #EndHunger frightened the government. But the government turned to repression rather than addressing the people’s demands.
“Perhaps 40 people were murdered by the police and other security forces, thousands were arrested, and many remain in captivity. In Abuja, the authorities have attacked the so-called leaders and organisers of the protests. Ten people face ridiculous charges, including treason, mutiny, and levying war against the state.
“The NLC promised a general strike to protect its President, Joe Ajaero, from arrest and detention about similar charges.
“Despite the flimsy nature of the evidence against the detainees, they face long years in prison unless the trade union movement is prepared to protect them.
“On 7th August, the NLC said it “condemns in the strongest terms the human rights violations perpetrated by security forces against peaceful protesters.”
“The first person to be arrested in this case was Eleojo Opaluwa. He is a former colleague of Joe Ajaero, who works for NUEE, the electricians’ union, as an organiser in Abuja.
“He is also the Vice Chair of the NLC in Kogi State. He has now been detained for over four weeks with no tangible evidence.
“His family was told that he had received a WhatsApp message from one of the other alleged leaders. This was after Eleojo had been detained. The 10 detainees have been accused of conspiracy to commit a range of serious crimes.
“However, they barely know each other. Five may have been members of a WhatsApp group that organised the protests in Abuja. But the other five are unknown to these comrades. They may be a few of the flag-waving protesters from Kano who were added to extend the range of the organizers to cover the main protests from Sokoto to Maiduguri.
“There appears to be a conflict between the government and the police investigating this case. The head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) told the detainees’ lawyers that he would have released them but that he had orders from above not to set them free.
“So, the police have developed what appears to be a ridiculous case involving the owner of Iva Valley Books. They claim that he goes under the name of Andrew Povich, a Russian-sounding name and that he has now left Nigeria for Russia.
“Neither of these claims are true. Yomi, who works for Iva Valley Books, has, like the other detainees, been treated in an inhumane manner.
“He was arrested in front of his wife and three-year-old daughter. The police confiscated all their phones. This was despite appeals from his wife that they needed a phone to get money for food.
“He was then imprisoned illegally and held in chains, beaten and tortured for three days. His only involvement was designing protest flyers based on his boss’s instructions. The NLC has shown that it has the power to protect its President. It must now extend this action to protect its other officers, members, and the general public.”
*#EndBadGovernance protesters remanded in Kuje prison
Meanwhile, the Federal Government charged 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters with counts bordering on treason before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court, Abuja.
Justice Nwite ordered that 10 protesters be remanded in prison till September 11.
They were arraigned before a Judge on August 1 and 4, 2024, for attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
The accused persons were said to have committed the treason offence during their one-week nationwide protests when they allegedly waged war against Nigeria.
The offences contradict sections 96, 410, and 413 of the Penal Code.
In the charge brought against them by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the federal government alleged that the accused broke into the Abacha Army Barracks and openly called on the military to take over President Tinubu’s constitutional government.
He also alleged that they attempted to force their way into the seat of power, during which they allegedly burned down the police station and injured police officers.
“They were also said to have incited the Nigerian public against the government.
“They destroyed several public properties comprising the Police station, High Court complex, and National Communication Commission (NCC) facilities,” he said.
Police also claimed that a 70-year-old British citizen, Andrew Martin Wynne, now at large, was primarily responsible for instigating mutiny against the Nigerian government.
The alleged offences were said to have been committed in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Gombe.
But when the charges were read to them, all the accused persons pleaded not guilty.
The accused persons are Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simon, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello Nurudeen Khamis and Abduldalam Zubair.
Upon their denial of the allegations, Counsel for the IGP, Simon Lough, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), asked Justice Emeka Nwite to remand the accused persons in prison pending their trial.
However, counsel to the defendants moved oral applications for bail of the accused persons.
Marshall Abubakar, who represented four defendants, cited authorities to justify his oral bail application, adding that the Federal High Court, in the treasonable charges against a politician, MKO Abiola, allowed his oral application and admitted him to bail.
In his argument, Abubakar told Justice Nwite that his clients were presumed innocent in law until proven otherwise by the IGP, adding that bail is a Constitutional right of the defendants.
The counsel submitted that the defendants had been held in custody for close to a month by police, who, he said, had completed their investigation into the allegations against his clients before bringing them to court.
The lawyer assured the Judge that the defendants would not jump bail if granted and would also not tamper with witnesses.
Also making a case, another lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who appeared for three of the defendants, faulted the treason charges against them, insisting that they only participated in lawful and legitimate protests against the hardships facing them.
Adeyanju, in his arguments, told the court that the police ought to have entered the locations of bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists, arrested and charged them with treason offences instead of innocent protesters.
He drew the court’s attention to the proof of evidence attached to the charges, adding that no evidence pointed to the direction of treason, mutiny, and incitement as alleged by police.
Insisting that bail is discretionary, Adeyanju pleaded with the Judge to exercise his discretion in favor of the defendants by admitting them to bail in liberal terms.
However, counsel to the Police, Simon Lough SAN, vehemently objected to the bail requests on the ground of the gravity of the alleged offences the accused persons were charged with.
He specifically cited mutiny aimed at changing democratic government by force through incitement and involvement of a British national against the Nigerian nation.
Justice Nwite, while making his pronouncement, ordered that the defendants be remanded at Kuje prison in Abuja and Suleja prison in Niger State and adjourned ruling in their bail applications till September 11.
*Outrage over arraignment
The decision has sparked widespread anger on social media, with many Nigerians denouncing it as a sign of a ‘full-blown dictatorship.’
Critics have accused the administration of trying to suppress dissent and silence the voices of opposition.
Some even claim that the government has been enslaving its citizens, with the charges seen as a direct attack on the right to protest in a democratic society.
Respondents on the issue were divided into the biting and the mild. For example, on Twitter, one Netizen wrote about his concerns on @PureStanley1.
He stated, “According to the APC and the police, activists, and journalists are a threat to Nigeria and should be eradicated from the face of the earth, but terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers are not a threat to Nigeria?
“Nigeria has been captured. Are the same people who championed and spearheaded a series of protests under and against GEJ’s government now against protests?
“And you call this democracy? Nigeria is practicing democracy and not Democracy. Know the difference!!!”
Another user, @AndinoAsuquo, questioned the charges, posting, “Treason for protesting?? Can someone please explain to him that this is a democratic government?”
An online medium also noted that the severity of the charges has raised fears among other social media commentators that a ‘full-blown’ autocratic’ governance must be on the way in the country.
CODER added, “The continued detention of these individuals is a stain on Nigeria’s democracy and a betrayal of the trust placed in government as a source of sincere representation.
“We expect a more robust response to these grievances and a commitment to upholding the rights of all citizens.
“The right to protest is a fundamental human right recognised under various international and regional instruments.
The United Nations Charter (Article 20) recognises the right to peaceful assembly and association, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 21) protects this right.
“African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 11): recognises the right to freedom of assembly and association and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
(Section 40): This section guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and association and also incorporates the combined reading of Sections 39 and 41.
“These instruments acknowledge the importance of protest to express grievances, promote accountability, and advocate for change.
“From all indications, your administration has failed to respect these principles and authorities when engaging with peaceful protesters.
“Don’t forget that you were once in their shoes as a young protester who wanted a better country, or was it all a pretence to power, like fake it till you make it?”
@Isthisjohnson remarked, “This is alarming! Treason charges for protesting are a severe escalation.
“It feels like we’re stepping into a dangerous territory where speaking out could have dire consequences. We need to keep raising awareness about this.”
@OurFavOnlineDoc penned, “To charge protesters to court for ‘treason’ in a country where the punishment for treason is the death penalty is an attempt by the government to use the powers of the state to execute its citizens.
“Why is the Nigerian judiciary entertaining this madness? Why is nobody speaking up about this? Or wait, are we in a dictatorship now?”
@Shehusky tweeted, “So, peaceful protesters are the enemies of Nigeria that should be sentenced to death for treason. Not Boko Haram, not bandits, not killer herders, not treasury looters, not kidnappers, not election riggers, not corrupt judges, and not religious extremists. Nigeria is captured.”
@FS_Yusuf_ echoed the position, slamming the government’s actions: “You are rehabilitating Boko Haram terrorists. You are watching politicians loot and walk away freely.
“Every day, terrorists on TikTok send us videos of their successful operations. But you arrested peace protesters and charged them with treason??? The Nigerian government is a criminal organisation.”
But @mrfestusogun has an angle; “Arresting peaceful protesters for the heinous crime of treason is a full-blown dictatorship.”
@OkpanachiUdale expressed frustration, stating, “I’ve always maintained my thoughts about this government.
“There is nothing democratic about it; in fact, it’s worse than any military regime in Nigeria. At least Nigerians didn’t live in fear of kidnappers, bandits, and terrorists during military regimes.”
On another plane, some also pleaded that those detained and prosecuted over the #EndBadGovernance protests be, unconditionally and without further delay, set free.
“For instance, a rights group urged Tinubu to bell freedom, reminding him that he also protested against bad governance before his present political pedigree.”
The group Coalition for Democratic Accountability and Electoral Reforms (CODER) expressed deep concern over the detention and trial of prisoners of conscience, journalists, and protesters in Nigeria.
In an open letter to the president, the group alleged that the individuals ”have been peacefully advocating for an end to bad governance and seeking a more just and equitable society.”
CODER, therefore, demanded the immediate release of the detainees and the dropping of all charges against them.
The organisation also called on President Tinubu ”to address the systemic issues that led to the protests, including corruption.”
The letter reads, “Dear President, We, as concerned citizens of Nigeria, write to express our outrage and deep concern about the unjust detention and the unfair trial of prisoners of conscience, journalists, and protesters who have been peacefully advocating for an end to bad governance and seeking a better Nigeria for all citizens.
“Their detention is a blatant violation of their fundamental human rights and an apparent attempt to silence dissenting voices.
“It is unacceptable that your administration continues to trample on the rights of citizens who are demanding a more just and equitable society. We require that you take immediate action to release these detainees and drop all charges against them.
”We also call on your administration to address the systemic issues that led to their protests, including corruption, inequality, and social injustice.”
