An Abuja Magistrate’s court has ordered the remand in Kuje correctional centre, Abuja, of the the publisher of Sahara Reporters online newspaper, Omoyele Sowore and four others over an alleged protest march they participated in Abuja on New Year eve.
They are being charged with criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly and public disturbance.
Magistrate Mabel Segun-Bello of the Magistrates’ Court, Wuse Zone 2, who gave the order today, January 4, said that they will remain in the correctional centre pending the consideration of their applications for bail.
Sowore, Juwon Sanyaolu, Peter Williams, Emmanuel Bulus and Damilare Adenola were arraigned on three-count charge brought against them by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
They were arrested by the Special Weapons Tactical Team of the NPF in Abuja over their alleged participation in a protest march a day before the New Year celebration.
The prosecution said that the defendants were arrested on New Year eve with placards calling for a violent revolution against President Muhammadu Buhari.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Magistrate adjourned the case to tomorrow, January 5, for hearing of their bail applications.
Sowore and another of his associates, Olawale Bakare are also standing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja, in which they are charged with treasonable felony after he organized the #RevolutionNow protest in 2019.
They were alleged to have conspired to stage a revolution campaign on August 5, 2019, tagged “#Revolution Now,” aimed at removing President Buhari from office as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during his term of office, otherwise than by constitutional means.
