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The police, yesterday, arraigned six RevolutionNow protesters in Lagos on a two-count charge of unlawful assembly and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
They were arraigned at an Ebute Metta Chief Magistrates Court in Lagos.
Those arrested were identified as Ehis Omoshomio, 35; Gabriel Ojumah, 51; Juwon Sanyaolu; 22; Stanley Anobi, 28; Elias Ozikpu, 30; Kenechukwu Ukachukwu, 25.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Ibijoke Akinpelu, counsel from the state criminal intelligence and information department, Panti, and Kehinde Omisakin, the resident prosecutor, said the defendants committed the offence on August 5, at 10 am, at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
Akinpelu alleged that the six defendants assembled at the stadium to protest, saying the gathering was unlawful and caused fear among people.
He said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 44 and 168(d) of the criminal law of Lagos state, 2015.
A.O. Komolafe, chief magistrate, admitted Ojumah, a lawyer, to bail based on self-recognition and the other five defendants N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
Komolafe adjourned the case till September 26 for mention.
Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 elections, was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) on Saturday following his call for a protest “against bad governance in Nigeria.”
But some Nigerians had converged on public places to stage protests and demand the release of Sowore.
Meanwhile, the police, yesterday staged a show of force in some major roads in Lagos , with a view to check any forms of protest.
Operatives of the Rapid Respond Squad, special Anti-Robbery Squad, Anti-Terrorism, Department of State Security, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Armoured Personnel Carrier were seen parading the roads with sirens.
NAN observed that heavily armed security agents still maintained their presence at the venues of Monday’s protest.
Military joint taskforce operatives, OP MESSA, and other security agents with about 12 patrol vehicles and one APC were seen at the Gani Fawehinmi Park on Ikorodu road, Ojota at about 11.20am.
After about 20 munities, about nine of the patrol vehicles, including APC van left the Park to continue the show of force, while the military joint Taskforce operatives and some anti-riot policemen waited.
At least 56 protesters have so far been arrested in the #RevolutionisNow protest across the country, a lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong said.
Effiong, a counsel to Omoyele Sowore, the lead organiser of the protest, said this in a broadcast on Facebook at midnight on Monday.
He said the figure included journalists already reported to have been arrested by security agencies at various venues of the protests on Monday.
In a midnight broadcast on the state of the participants at the protests, Effiong said the number of arrested protesters had risen to 56.
He denied the allegations that the protest was planned to overthrow the Federal Government.
President Muhammadu Buhari had argued that a revolution is inherently violent and treasonous.
Some of the states where protesters were arrested include Lagos, Cross River, Ondo and Ogun.
