A High Court in Benin City, Edo State capital, on Monday, granted bail to seven suspects facing trial for alleged invasion of the State House of Assembly complex.
The presiding judge, Justice Efe Ikponmwonba, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N500,000 with a surety each in like sum.
Ikponmwonba said the sureties must be gainfully employed and reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
Recall that the court had remanded seven suspects arrested by the police during the invasion of the Edo State House of Assembly complex on August 06, 2020.
The suspects were identified as Festus Agbonrenren, Odion Osayande, Ogbeiwe Wilfred, Morgan Uwaigboe, Osayomore Salami, Ifeoluwa Oladele, and Iginobaro Collins.
Meanwhile, the judge adjourned the judgment in the suspects’ fundamental human rights action till Tuesday, September 8.
The defendants in the suit are Inspector-General of Police, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 5, Edo State Commissioner of Police and Supol Dahiru Ibrahim.
Counsel to the applicants, Matthias Obayuwana, in his affidavit averred “that the motion was aimed at enforcing the fundamental rights to liberty and personal dignity, freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of the Applicants by the police authorities”.
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He added that the suspects were arrested while carrying out their duties as members of the state vigilance group at the Assembly complex to protect the place from being vandalised by hoodlums on the fateful day.
“The Applicants were arrested by a team of policemen led by one Supol Dahiru Ibrahim and taken to Force Headquarters Abuja where they were tortured and detained under unfavourable condition without food. The right to personal dignity is not such that can be negotiated, waived, neglected or overlooked,” he said.
He prayed the court to restrain the respondents from further interference with the fundamental human rights to liberty of the applicants in executing their duties as vigilance group under the employ of Edo State government for the protection of government property.
Objecting to the applicant’s motion, counsel to the police, Akomen Adaghe, urged the court to rule against the applicants because “they were arrested with guns, an offence punishable by law”.
