Respite For #EndSARS Protesters As Abuja Court Cautions Media Against Sensationalism

Respite has come the way of six #EndSARS campaigners with a Chief Magistrate of an Abuja Court, Musa Abdulrazaq Eneye, granting them bail 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 in front of National Assembly (NASS) complex main entrance.

They are Olutosin Adeniji, Yasidu Bashiru, Abdulsalam Zubairu, Kabiru Garzali, Paul Akinwumi and Devour Chomo.

However, before granting their bail applications, Chief Magistrate Eneye expressed displeasure over a malicious publication on the arraignment of the #EndSARS protester in the court last week in which what transpired in the open court were twisted and reported wrongly on social media.

In drawing the attention of lawyers and litigants to the malicious publication, the Chief Magistrate warned that any further violation of the laws guiding rules and procedures in court will lead to contempt of court.

He also urged Media practitioners to always get their fact accurate in judicial reporting and avoid undue sensationalism and engaging in sub-judice in matters pending before the court so as not to run foul of the law.

The Magistrate, who acknowledged the freedom of expression as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, however said the law was not absolute because, there are guidance that must be followed by anybody or group while expressing themselves.

He noted that even dangerous insinuations were targeted at him on the social media, adding that having taken the oath of office and that of judicial matter, he is bound to perform his job without fear or bias against anybody or group.

The Protesters were arraigned on Friday, November 6, 2000 by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police on charges of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly and inciting public disturbances contrary to Section 97 of the Penal Code.

Though, the six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge, they were however ordered to be remanded at Kuje Prison pending the time their formal applications for bail would be argued.

At the presentation of their formal applications, counsel to the defendants, Mr Tope Akinyode, urged the court to admit them into liberal bail conditions.

He argued the bail applications 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.

Though 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.

In his ruling on the matter, Magistrate Eneye allowed the bail applications to be moved in line with the provision of the Abuja Magisterial rules.

He said the facts deposed to in the affidavit evidence of the defendants were convincing enough to warrant bail to be admitted to them.

According to him, the Court should not refuse bail to punish the defendants while bail conditions must also not be too excessive so as not to amount to denial of rights.

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.

The case was then adjourned till January 25, 2021 fr further hearing.

Reacting to the ruling, counsel to the defendants commended Chief Magistrate Eneye for granting his clients bail in the liberal terms and assured that the defendant would not do anything to abuse the bail granted.

Similarly, commenting on the malicious publication, a Senior Lawyer, Mr Olumide Babalola who led the legal team for the defence of the six #EndSARS protesters, praised the magistrate for the matured handling of the offending publication against him.

He however noted that the said offending publication did not emanate from any lawyer in the defence team of the clients. – With PRNigeria reports