The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has condemned in strong terms what it describes as punitive and excessive bail conditions imposed on 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The association expressed its deep disappointment, stating that the courts are increasingly behaving like colonial agents, wielding their powers not to protect the rights of the people but to oppress and criminalize peaceful protests.
Each defendant was granted bail with a requirement of N10 million, alongside a surety of the same amount who must be a resident and property owner in Abuja.
Additionally, the sureties were required to deposit property documents with the court and swear an affidavit of means. These conditions, according to HURIWA, are unjust, oppressive, and reflective of a judiciary increasingly subservient to the executive arm of government.
In a statement issued by HURIWA, signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group likened the actions of the Federal High Court to the oppressive methods used by colonial authorities to suppress the voices of Nigerians during the pre-independence era.
“The courts are behaving like colonial vestiges, playing the role of agents of oppression rather than defenders of justice and fundamental rights. How can a court of law, in a democratic setting, criminalize peaceful protests and impose such toxic, intolerable bail conditions on young Nigerians exercising their constitutional rights?” the statement read.
HURIWA pointed out that the individuals being prosecuted are mostly unemployed youths who took to the streets to demand good governance, accountability, and transparency—values enshrined in the constitution.
“These young Nigerians, many of whom are unemployed, were exercising their democratic right to protest against bad governance. Yet, instead of being treated as patriots fighting for a better Nigeria, they are being treated like criminals, rounded up, and now expected to pay ₦10 million each in bail,” HURIWA lamented.
The association further criticized the bail conditions as an indirect way of ensuring that the protesters remain in detention.
“By imposing such outrageous conditions, the court is essentially denying them bail. Where would unemployed youths get ₦10 million from? These bail terms clearly show that the judiciary has no intention of allowing these protesters to go free,” HURIWA said.
The court’s decision, according to HURIWA, not only undermines the principles of democracy but also emboldens the executive to further clamp down on peaceful protests.
