*As four minors fainted
By Obande Oche
ABUJA – A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday granted bail to 71 of the 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters dragged before it on a 10-count charge by the Federal Government.
Justice Obiora Egwuata, however, remanded the adults at the Kuje Correctional Center Abuja while the minors are to be remanded at the Bostal Children’s Home pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
Justice Obiora granted them bail in the sum of 10 million with two sureties each in like sum.
The Judge said one of the sureties should be a civil servant while the other could be a sibling or a parent.
The sureties are to provide a valid Identity Card, proper residential address, and passport-sized photographs, among others.
The defendants were protesters arrested from several locations in Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Plateau, Katsina States, and the FCT.
The 10-count charges include Treasonable felony, rioting, destruction of public property, assaulting security officials, and looting/theft of public property, among others.
All the defendants, made up of 27 Minors and 44 adults, pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them as four Minors were excluded from the exercise due to ill health.
Earlier, there was drama at the Court as four of the minors, looking very malnourished, fainted as they approached the dock for arraignment, with their lawyers rushing to provide aid.
Justice Egwuatu, on seeing the situation, called a brief recess to enable the protesters who were sick to be attended to.
The judge adjourned proceedings in the matter to January 24, 2025, for continuation.