It is a tortuous journey for Eromosele Adene, an #EndSARS protester, as he will be arraigned before a Chief Magistrate in Lagos on Tuesday.

The embattled youth was arrested in Lagos on November 7 by the police and whisked to Abuja, the nation’s capital days later.

Eromosele is charged with allegations of aiding the #EndSARS protest in Lagos.

The case was initially scheduled to hold on Monday on allegations of financial support to the youth protest that was later hijacked by hoodlums in some states in the country.

His sister, Onomene, had explained that she was used as bait by a group of security operatives to get to her brother.

Onomene, who was a guest recently on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said she got a call from a man who claimed to be a former church member and who had a parcel to deliver to her father who is the pastor of the church.

On getting to the meeting venue, she stated that she could not figure out the man’s face, and as she approached him, she discovered that the parcel was not what the man claimed it was.

Eromosele’s sister added that they were later joined on the spot by more policemen before she was asked to take them to their house where the embattled protester was arrested.

She condemned the arrested of her brother and called for his release, saying he has a liver infection, and his continued detention was harmful to his health.

Source: Channels TV

Sixteen #EndSARS campaigners have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to reverse the restriction placed on their accounts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The CBN had frozen the accounts of 20 #EndSARS campaigners through an ex-parte order obtained from Justice Ahmed Mohammed to back his action.

In a supporting affidavit, the apex bank had also alleged that the #EndSARS campaigners may have received their funding through acts of terrorism and asked the judge to swiftly freeze the accounts.

However, 16 of the affected persons filed a motion on Thursday through their lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), to set aside the order.

The 16 applicants include Bolatito ‘Rinu’ Oduala, who is a member of the panel set up by the Lagos State Government to look into police brutality, Chima Ibebunjoh, Mary Kpengwa, Saadat Bibi, Bassey Israel, Wisdom Obi, Nicholas Osazele, Ebere Idibie, Akintomide Yusuf, Uhuo Promise, Mosopefoluwa Odeseye, Adegoke Pamilerin, Umoh Ekanem, Babatunde Segun, Mary Oshifowora and Idunnu Williams.

While contending that the freezing of their bank accounts was an act of illegality, they stressed that the CBN Governor, Ifeanyi Emefiele froze the accounts before approaching the court much later for a freezing order.

They also argued that the court order permitting Emefiele to freeze their accounts for 90 days was a violation of their right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

The #EndSARS campaigners argued that Justice Mohammed’s 90-day freezing order violated Order 26 Rules 5, 10 and 11(1) and (2) of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2019, which prescribes a maximum of 14 days for the validity of an ex parte order.

Faulting their being labelled as terrorist by the CBN governor, the #EndSARS campaigners said the CBN was neither one of the investigating nor prosecuting agencies recognised under the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011 and the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.

Marshal Abubakar, who deposed to an affidavit filed in support of the suit, said the claimants’ accounts were frozen in October by CBN without any justification as the bank provided no evidence to back its terrorism claim.

He added that all the persons whose accounts were frozen had never been arrested for any crime before, adding that they were only protesters whose right to protest was recently reiterated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Source: Channels TV

Northern Elders Forum, NEF, have said they were aware of alleged attempts by some politicians interested in contesting the 2023 presidential election to weaken the North on many fronts in the aftermath of #EndSARS protest.

The Forum also said it had credible information about an alleged plan to force restructuring on the North under the guise of ending the agitation against bad governance in the country.

NEF’s Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a statement on Wednesday night, said that the North was capable of identifying and protecting its own interests, and would neither be blackmailed nor intimidated into accepting restructuring as a means to higher standards of justice, better security, and progress for all Nigerians.

He said, “The Forum is aware of attempts to weaken the North by interests that believe that this is their only path to success in the 2023 elections. 

“These interests should know that the North will neither be blackmailed nor intimidated, and we are quite capable of identifying and protecting our own interests. 

“Some of these interests seek to exploit our plural nature and deepen what they see as divisions. They will fail, because northerners know that what unites us is a lot stronger than what divides us. 

“Others create the impression that the North is opposed to the country being restructured along lines that will improve the quality of our union, ensure higher standards of justice, better security and progress for all Nigerians. These too will fail. 

“The North is ready to discuss all elements of our co-existence, but will not be stampeded into submitting to other interests who feel uncomfortable with a strong and united North, or blackmailing us to adopt their versions of our future.”

NEF also said it was disappointed that last week’s meeting in Kaduna by Northern Governors, high-level federal government officials and traditional rulers barely made mention of the insecurity of communities within the region

The elders said the focus of the meeting on the potential for abuse of social media platforms and the possibility of hoodlums hijacking the #EndSARS protest in many cities of the south was uncalled for.

Baba-Ahmed said, “That meeting missed a historic opportunity to acknowledge that northern communities are in dire need of improved security, and to give firm and specific assurances that our leaders care about northern lives and will take steps to protect us.     

“We took particular note of the pivotal roles of governors and traditional rulers at that meeting, leaders who are thoroughly familiar with daily assaults by insurgents, bandits and kidnappers on northerners. 

“These are leaders who should have understood the high hopes which northerners attached to a meeting of that nature in Kaduna, and they should understand that the impression left by that meeting and the frenzy of activities in parts of the south involving some northern leaders to show sympathy for damage from hoodlums leaves only one conclusion in the mind of northerners: northern lives do not matter.”

The Forum noted the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to improve engagements with northern leaders, and  hoped that these will not be public relations stunts in place of real efforts aimed at improving the security of the region.

“The Forum advises the President and Governors to engage a broad spectrum of leaders, elders and the young  in the North to contribute to an appreciation of the dangers which our communities live with on a daily basis, and  enlist them as partners in the search for solutions,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Northern elders paid tribute to its Director-General, Dr Yima Sen, who died recently, describing his services to the Forum as invaluable.

Following being listed in the criminal complaint filed by rights activist, Kenechukwu Okeke for their role in the #EndSARS protests , some people listed have reacted via their social media pages.

Recall that Okeke on Tuesday sued Sam Adeyemi, Aisha Yesufu and seveeral Celebrities before a Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja for their involvement in the #EndSARS protests.

In the suit Okeke asked that the defendants be brought to justice for allegedly destroying his properties by enabling the protests.

Also listed in the suit are musicians Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Davido and Folarin Falana popularly known as Falz. Others are social media comedians, Debo Adebayo fondly addressed as Mr Macaroni and Maryam Akpaokagi also known as Taoma.

Entertainers such as Peter and Paul Okoye, Innocent Idibia, also known as TuFace, Bankole Wellington popularly known as Banky W, Tiwa Savage, Michael Ajereh (Don Jazzy) and Yemi Alade also made the list.

“Who sent this guy to file this frivolous lawsuit?” Sam Adeyemi wrote on Twitter.

Activist Aisha Yesufu tweeted: “My joy is that they got my name right and I am number one on the list. Thank you #EndSars protesters. I am honoured to be part of you all.

However, legal practitioner, Ayo Sogunro, wondered why he had not been named properly.

Dr. Chinonso Egemba, popularly known as Aproko Doctor, rubbished Okeke’s lawsuit.