A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to ten protesters involved in the #EndBadGovernance movement. Justice Emeka Nwite presided over the case, setting the bail at N10 million for each of the accused, who were detained on charges that include treason.

In addition to the bail amount, the court ordered that each protester must provide one surety with a financial standing equal to the bail sum. This decision is a significant development in the ongoing legal battle faced by the protesters.

During the ruling, Justice Nwite emphasized that Nigeria’s criminal justice system has clear guidelines that must be followed by both the prosecution and the defense. He highlighted that the law presumes every individual charged with a crime to be innocent until proven guilty.

In support of the defendants, the judge agreed with the argument presented by Abubakar Marshall, the counsel for the 1st, 2nd, and 4th defendants. Marshall argued that the right to be presumed innocent is fundamental, which led to the granting of bail for all ten protesters.

“I have carefully considered the submissions from both sides,” Justice Nwite stated. “Despite the charges, I hereby grant the defendants bail. The bail is set at N10 million each, with one surety in a like amount.”

The ten protesters—Michael Adaramoye, also known as Lenin, Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis, and Abdulsalam Zubairu—were initially arraigned on September 2. They face a six-count charge that includes alleged treason, inciting mutiny, and intent to destabilize the nation.