Nigerian Police Force on Monday arraigned three EndSARS protesters arrested during a peaceful protest in Ogun State.

The three protesters, Adeniji Sodiq (25 years old), Mutairu Faruq (19 years old), Olatoye Olalekan (23 years old) were charged with four count charges including attempted murder, according to the charge sheet seen by The Guardian.

The police accused the three protesters of attempting “to kill one Ajagbusi Taofik by hitting him with dangerous weapons.”

One of the charges also said the three unlawfully and maliciously damaged Lexus jeep worth N100 million belonging to one Olabode Oyedele.
Citizens’ Gavel, a civic tech organization, representing the protesters, said its lawyers “were unable to get them out on bail as the magistrate court does not have jurisdiction.”

The case was further adjourned to the 28th day of October 2020.

Citizens’ Gavel said the prosecution came by way of an application to remand the protesters in a correctional facility pending legal advice of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). This order was granted seeing the magistrate court does not have jurisdiction to hear the case.

At least 23 protesters were arrested during the peaceful protest in the state. The state’s governor Dapo Abiodun on Sunday said he has ordered their release.

“I can confirm that, following my instruction to the Commissioner of Police,” the governor tweeted, “detained protest organisers have been released from detention.”

However, not all of them were released as directed by the governor.

Nigerians, home and abroad, have taken to streets and online to protest demanding an end to police brutality in the country.

The nationwide protests were a culmination of weeks of anger and outcry online by the country’s young people over of kidnapping, harassment, extortion and extrajudicial killing by the dissolved Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police.