Nigeria: Six #EndSARS protesters freed after four years in custody

A Lagos State Magistrate Court in Ogba in Nigeria has discharged six men who were arrested during the 2020 #EndSARS protests and have spent almost four years in prison.

The defendants, identified as Daniel Joyinbo, Adigun Sodiq, Kehinde Shola, Salaudeen Kamilu, Sodiq Usseni, and Azeez Isiaka, were set free by Magistrate Bolanle Osunsanmi on Thursday (22 August), after being cautioned.

The defendants were discharged after pleading guilty to a single amended charge brought against them by the Lagos State Government.

The charge, dated 22 August 2024, accused them of conducting themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace, a violation under Section 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

According to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Babajide Martins, the alleged offence took place on 23 November 2020, at around 12 pm in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos.

Martins told the court, “The defendants acted in a way that could have disturbed public order, which is a punishable offence under the state’s laws.”

The punishment for the offence of conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace,  under Section 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, stipulates three months punishment or a fine of N15,000.

The court may impose either or both the fine and imprisonment, depending on the severity of the case and other circumstances.

After the defendants entered their guilty pleas, Osunsanmi asked them if they fully understood the consequences.

“Do you understand the content of your guilty plea and the court’s obligation to impose the maximum sentence for this charge?” she asked.

The defendants confirmed they understood and accepted the plea bargain agreement outlined in the amended charge.

While the prosecution urged the court to sentence them in line with the guilty plea agreement, the defence counsel, T.D. Ojeshina, appealed to the court for leniency.

“My Lord, I respectfully ask the court to temper justice with mercy. These young men are first-time offenders and have already spent nearly four years in custody.

“Some of them are the breadwinners of their families and have suffered greatly. They have learnt their lessons,” Ojeshina said.

Osunsanmi, after considering the submissions from both sides, acknowledged the time already served by the defendants.

“In light of the fact that these men have been in prison for nearly four years, I find them guilty as charged but will discharge them as they have already spent more than the required term of punishment,” she said.

Before their release, the magistrate issued a stern caution to the six men, reminding them of the serious consequences of their actions and urging them to lead law-abiding lives in the future.

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