NIGERIA : #EndSARS Protesters Freed After Nearly Four Years in Custody

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

Six #EndSARS protesters have been acquitted and discharged by a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ikeja, Lagos, after almost four years in prison. The men, aged between 28 and 34, were initially charged with breaching public peace during the 2020 #EndSARS protests.

They had entered a plea bargain and were found guilty by Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi, who, after considering their time spent in custody, chose to caution and discharge them instead of imposing a sentence. The defense counsel, T.D. Ojeshino, pleaded for leniency, highlighting that “the defendants are first-time offenders and some were the breadwinners of their families.”

The court’s decision was influenced by the fact that the defendants had “already learned their lessons,” according to Ojeshino. Dr. Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecutions, confirmed that the men were involved in the November 2020 protests, where their actions were likely to cause a breach of public peace.

Source: TruetellsNigeria