2 weeks ago
12 ARTICLE AD
A crowd gathered at the Maiduguri High Court of Justice as the judgement approached for 11 detained #EndBadGovernance protesters in the capital of Borno State.
The gathering included family members, relatives, human rights advocates, and legal professionals who had come out in solidarity with the detained individuals.
The case against the protesters, outlined in a letter from the Borno State Attorney General, Hauwa Abubakar, revealed that the 11 defendants faced two charges related to public disturbance.
The accused allegedly displayed the Russian national flag in public and repeatedly chanted.
Before the commencement of the trial, the court, through a letter signed by the Attorney General of the state, Hauwa Abubakar, disclosed that the case was between the state government, serving as the complainant, and 11 defendants facing two charges.
The letter reads, “Halle Dahiru, 26; Bashir Ahmad, 18; Sediq Abubakar, 18; Musa Lawan, 26; Yunusa Abdullahi, 22; Habib Lawan, 22; Abubakar Tijjani, 18; Khalifa Abdulhamid, 25; Muhammed Abubakar, 18; Abubakar Hassan, 24; and Muhammed Ibrahim, 21, on or about the 5th day of August 2024, at about 0800 hrs, at Maiduguri, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, jointly carried and displayed the Russian national flag in public and continuously chanted ‘Ba Mayi,’ thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 42 and punishable under Section 76(b) of the Penal Code Law of Borno State, 2023.
“That you, Halle Dahiru, 26; Bashir Ahmad, 18; Sadiq Abubakar, 18; Musa Lawan, 26; Yunusa Abdullahi, 22; Habib Lawan, 22; Abubakar Tijjani, 18; Khalifa Abdulhamid, 25; Muhammed Abubakar, 18; Abubakar Hassan, 24; and Muhammed Ibrahim, 21, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, carried and displayed a foreign flag, namely the Russian national flag, in public and continuously chanted ‘Ba Muyi’ against the Government, causing a disturbance of public peace and thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 76(b) of the Penal Code Law of Borno State, 2023.”
A relative of one of the defendants, Hajara Shaibu, appealed to the state government to temper justice with mercy and allow the accused to return and rebuild their lives.
Meanwhile, the State Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Hassan Dahiru, called for the immediate release of the detainees.
In his words, “Whether they are mature or immature is immaterial to link them with treason, because there is hunger in the country and no two ways about it.”
