HURIWA flays harsh bail conditions for protesters
Victims of #EndBadGovernance protest warn against October 1
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has labelled the Nigerian judiciary an agent of oppression while condemning the bail conditions imposed on 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, victims of last month’s #EndBadGovernance protest have cautioned against the planned October 1 protest, citing the dire consequences of the previous demonstration.
Expressing disappointment, the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, stated that the courts were increasingly behaving like colonial agents, wielding their powers not to protect the rights of the people but to oppress and criminalise peaceful protests.
The case sparked outrage across the country, particularly due to the stringent bail conditions set by Justice Emeka Nwite. Each defendant was granted N10 million bail, alongside a surety of the same amount, who must be a resident and property owner in Abuja.
Also, the sureties were required to deposit property documents with the court and swear an affidavit of means. These conditions, according to Onwubiko, are unjust, oppressive, and reflective of a judiciary increasingly subservient to the executive arm of government.
HURIWA pointed out that the individuals being prosecuted were mostly unemployed youths, who took to the streets to demand good governance, accountability and transparency, values enshrined in the constitution. The association further criticised the bail conditions as an indirect way of ensuring the protesters remain in detention.
“By imposing such outrageous conditions, the court is denying them bail. Where would unemployed youths get N10 million from? These bail terms clearly show that the judiciary has no intention of allowing these protesters to go free,” he said.
The court’s decision, according to HURIWA, not only undermines the principles of democracy but also emboldens the executive to further clamp down on peaceful protests.
“There is nothing inherently criminal about protesting. Protest is a cornerstone of democracy. The moment you suppress the right to protest, you are effectively killing democracy. What the court has done is play into the hands of the authoritarian executive taking shape in Nigeria,” HURIWA warned. It reaffirmed protest as an inalienable right of citizens in a democracy.
THE Victims of #EndBadGovernance Protest (VEGP) claimed that innocent protesters were killed and many Nigerians, especially in the north, suffered wounds, scars and financial losses during the 10-day nationwide protest.
Speaking at a briefing in Kaduna, the leader, Ibrahim Kauru, warned that another round of protests without a clear agenda would further endanger and impoverish citizens. He alleged that the main sponsors of the protest instigated the demonstrations from abroad while innocent citizens bore the brunt.
Kauru emphasised that the previous protest achieved no result and that victims were not supported or compensated. He cited reports from the United Action Front of Civil Society, stating that 21 protesters were killed and over 1,100 arrested on the first day of the protest.
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