Citizen Justice Abdulrazaq Justice Abdulrazaq Eneye of a chief Magistrate Court in Abuja has granted bail to six EndSARS Protesters in the sum of N50,000 each with one surety each in the like sum.
The six defendants were arrested while wearing RevolutionNow T-Shirt during a protest at the front of National Assembly a few days ago.
They are Olutosin Adeniji, Yasidu Bashiru, Abdulsalam Zubairu, Kabiru Garzali, Paul Akinwumi and Devour Chomo.
The Protesters were arraigned on Friday November 6, 2000 by the FCT Commissioner of Police on charge of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly and inciting public disturbances contrary to Section 97 of the Penal Code.
Although, the six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge, they were ordered to be remanded at Kuje Prison pending the time their formal application for bail would be argued.
At the presentation of their formal applications, the counsel to the defendants Mr. Tope Akinyode, urged the court to admit them into liberal bail conditions.
The counsel argued the bail application pursuant to Sections 6, 35 and 36 of the 199 Constitution and Sections 156, 163, 164 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
Although the bail applications with the affidavit evidence were served on the legal department of the Abuja Police Command, no legal representation was made, or any excuse offered for the absence.
Magistrate Eneye, in his remarks allowed the bail application to be moved in line with the provision of the Abuja Magisterial rules.
In his ruling on the bail application, Magistrate Eneye said that the facts deposed to in the affidavit evidence of the defendants was convincing enough to warrant bail to be admitted to them.
The Chief Magistrate said that Court must not refuse bail to punish the defendants while bail condition must not be too excessive so as not to amount to denial of bail.
Having found merit in the bail application, the Chief Magistrate granted each defendant bail in the sum of N50,000 and one surety in the like sum.
However, the surety must have source of income and must submit passport photograph of his means of identifications to register of the court.
He then adjourned hearing in the matter till January 25, 2021.
