AN ABUJA Federal High Court presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite has ordered the remand of several activists who were arrested for participation in the nationwide Hunger Protests in August at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending a ruling on their bail application scheduled for September 11, 2024.
The court’s decision follows the protesters’ not-guilty plea to six terrorism-related charges brought against them by the federal government.
The six-count charge, filed on August 30, 2024, includes allegations of treason, destabilisation of the country, and intimidation of the President.
Among the defendants is Comrade Drew Povey, a British citizen identified in the court process as “Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich”.
Prosecution counsel Simon Lough, SAN, argued against the bail application, citing the capital punishment implications of some charges.
Despite the defence’s request for remand at a police facility, Justice Nwite decided that the accused should be held at Kuje Correctional Centre, with the female defendant transferred to Keffi Correctional Centre in Nasarawa State.
The charges against the protesters, detailed in case FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, accuse them of conspiring to destabilise the country and committing treason between July 1 and August 4, 2024.
The court’s decision highlights the gravity of the allegations and sets the stage for an intense legal battle in the coming weeks.
