Anene Victor and Emmanuel Larry, the two men who were arrested for protesting against Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari in Kogi State, have been secretly arraigned before a magistrates’ court in Lokoja, the state capital.
The two of them had been seen in a viral video on Monday holding “Buhari must go” posters. The two were seen being flogged by youths for having the audacity to do the protest.
TheCable, on Friday, reported that the protesters’ lawyer, Benjamin Omeiza, said his clients were arraigned on Tuesday at the Magistrates’ Court 1, Lokoja, popularly called Lugard Court, on charges bordering on treasonable felony and inciting public unrest.
According to reports, Omeiza said the magistrate had signed a remand order in his office owing to the nationwide strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
He said, “One of the police officers at the A Division reliably informed me that they were taken and arraigned before a magistrate in his office who signed a remand warrant.
“At a time when the judiciary is on strike, a magistrate is entertaining a case he has no jurisdiction over and then remanding suspects over a bailable allegation.”
Omeiza said he tried to get in contact with the Kogi State commissioner of police but was later directed to see the officer in charge of the legal department at the command headquarters.
“I registered my grievances before her and she confirmed that they were remanded on Tuesday,” the lawyer said.