The Department of State Services (DSS) has released six of the #Hunger or #EndBadGovernance protesters who were arrested during demonstrations in Kaduna State.
The protests, held between August 1 and 10, were in response to the economic hardships being experienced by citizens across the country.
According to human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), a total of 2,111 protesters were arrested by security agents during the demonstrations.
Sources within the DSS told correspondents on Sunday that the six protesters were released following the completion of investigations, while three others would be arraigned.
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According to one source, “On September 19, 2024, six persons held in Kaduna were released after being cleared at the conclusion of investigations. Meanwhile, three people are being prosecuted after prima facie evidence has been established against them.
“The DG DSS ordered the immediate release of the protesters arrested for various roles in the EndBadGovernance protests.
“The DG is resolute in upholding the mandate of the service by decisively investigating and bringing to justice those who exploit such rights to perpetrate crime.”
The DSS could not be reached for comment at the time this report was filed.
On September 2, police arrested ten activists in connection with the protest.
In addition to the six counts filed by Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, the Federal Government named a British citizen, Andrew Wynne, aka Andrew Povich, as a defendant.
The defendants were accused of “treason, destabilising the country, intimidating the President, and destroying the NCC in Kano,” among other things, in the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024.
The IG specifically accused the protesters of acting in concert and conspiring to commit a felony, namely treason, between July 1 and August 4, 2024, with the intention of destabilising the country.
In the charge sheet filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the Federal Government named the defendants as Micheal Adaramoye (aka Lenin); Adeyemi Ahayomi (aka Yomi); Suleiman Yakubu; Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo; Angel Innocent; Buhari Lawal; Mosiu Sadiq; Bashir Bello (aka Murtala); Nursdeen Khamis; Abdulsalam Zubairu; Andrew Wynne (aka Andrew Povich); Lucky Obryan; Comrade Musa Abdollahi.
The IG added that the protesters, between July 1, 2024, and August 10, 2024, in Abuja FCT, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe, in collaboration with Andrew Wynne (aka Andrew Povich), a British Citizen, with the intent to destabilize Nigeria, waged war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the President by attacking and injuring police officers and burning police stations, High Court Complex, NCC Complex, Kano Printing Press, Government House Karo, Kadama Investment a
According to Egbetokun, the offense violated Section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act (CAP P3 LEN 204).
The defendants were also accused of collaborating with Wynne, a British citizen, with the intent to destabilise Nigeria, inciting public disturbance while carrying placards with the inscription ‘end bad government’ and several other inscriptions to incite disaffection with the government.
