A Federal High Court in Kaduna Judicial Division has discharged three detained #EndBadGovernance protesters namely Usman Isa Adebayo, Salihu Shuaibu and Khalid Aminu.
Newsmen reported on October 4, that the detained the trio had filed a motion for their bail at the high court.
However, when the matter came up on Thursday, October 17, 2024, the activists were discharged of all the charges against them.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecutor for the Department of State Services (DSS) applied to withdraw the charges against them. Consequently, the trial judge struck out the case for want of evidence.
Currently, they are still in court trying to perfect the necessary administrative formalities before they will return home, Newsmen was told.
“Khalid, Usman and Salihu have been discharged. The DSS prosecutor applied to withdraw the charges against them and the judge struck out the case for want of evidence,” a source privy to the case said. “We are still in the court trying to perfect the necessary administrative formalities.”
Newsmen earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had arraigned Adebayo, Shuaibu and Aminu on two counts bordering on criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly, an offence said to be contrary to Section 70 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C.28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, (LFN) 2004.
In the charge, the activists were accused of unlawfully conspiring to organise and participate in an unauthorised public assembly tagged “End Bad Governance” protest, sometime on or about 4th August, 2024.
They were accused to have engaged during the protest in acts intended to disrupt public order by mobilising persons through loud “music, chanting, sewing and displaying of the Russian coloured flags, jerseys and headbands which were calculated to incite public disunity and undermine national cohesion”.
Reacting to development, #RevolutionNow Movement convener, Omoyele Sowore, said in a post on his X account, “Today, after 75 days of unjust incarceration, the lawless @OfficialDSSNG withdrew its illegal charges against Khalid Aminu @KHALYD16 before the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
“@Khalyd16 was arrested by the @OfficialDSSNG on August 4th, 2024, over his participation in the #EndBadGovernaceInNigeria revolt.
“The judge has accordingly struck out the case, and Khalid is expected to rejoin his family soonest.
“Let’s thank Khalid’s father for his commitment to justice and fairness for all. He was resolute throughout Khalid’s ordeal. We also thank @ShehuSani for his solid interventions. The struggle continues until we win!”