NAN-H-24
Activist
Igbaugba Ehigimetor
Benin, May 18, 2017 (NAN) An Edo High Court on Thursday reserved ruling for May 24 on a bail application filed by a rights activist, Mr Curtis Ugbo, charged with treason.
Justice J. Acha announced the date after arguments on the application by defence and prosecution counsel, Mr Olayewola Afolabi and Mr Oluwole Iyamu, Edo Solicitor-General, respectively.
Ugbo, President of the Benin Solidarity Movement, was charged to court following a protest he led to agitate for a better deal from the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company for Benin youths.
Edo Government considered the protest capable of undermining the peace of the state, and consequently arraigned Ugbo before a magistrates’ court.
The magistrate court remanded him in prison custody on March 24, and adjourned the case pending the advice of the state’s director of public prosecutions.
It later declined jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Thus, the police charged Ugbo before the high court.
Arguing the bail application on Thursday, Afolabi told the court that Ugbo deserved to be granted bail since findings of the police did not support the charge.
“Findings of the police do not support the charges. What my client did was simply to carry out a peaceful protest. How can a peaceful protest lead to evasion of the state?” he asked.
Opposing the application, Iyamu said that granting the rights activist bail would be injurious to the society.
He said that Ugbo was charged with a sensitive matter, adding that the state had begun the process of giving the case accelerated trial.
He prayed the court to deny him bail.
“It is for the safety and security of the society.
“There is great danger in releasing the applicant, particularly when his cohorts are still at large,” Iyamu said. (NAN)
ESI/CEO/IGO
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(Edited by Chidi Opara/Ijeoma Popoola)