JUST IN: Lagos courtroom grants well-liked activists ₦200,000 bail

The Yaba Justice of the Peace Courtroom in Lagos on Thursday granted Hassan Taiwo, popularly often called Soweto, and protest chief Dele Frank bail within the sum of ₦200,000 every.

The Lagos State Police Command had arraigned Soweto, Frank and different anti-demolition protesters over alleged felony offences arising from a protest in Ikeja on Wednesday.

The police filed 5 counts in opposition to the defendants, together with conduct prone to trigger a breach of the peace, threats of violence, illegal meeting and obstruction of the free stream of site visitors.

Chief Femi Falana, SAN, appeared in courtroom to symbolize the protesters.

Soweto, a number one member of the Democratic Socialist Motion and spokesperson for the #EndBadGovernance Motion in Lagos, was arrested throughout a protest in opposition to the demolition and compelled eviction of residents from Makoko, Oworonshoki, Owode-Onirin and different low-income communities.

In a press release on Wednesday, the police stated Soweto and Frank had been being investigated on the state legal investigation division in Panti over their alleged roles in what it described as a violent and illegal demonstration.

The police stated the protest started on the Ikeja under-bridge, the place demonstrators allegedly blocked Awolowo Street for a number of hours and prolonged in the direction of Alausa.

In accordance with the police, protesters carried a coffin, mounted loudspeakers on a car and barricaded main routes, actions it stated introduced site visitors to a standstill.

The command additionally claimed the blockade prevented residents with medical emergencies from accessing hospitals and disrupted travellers heading to the airport.

Granting bail, the Justice of the Peace stated: “I launch them to the discovered silk. I’m very positive the discovered silk understands the implications of this ruling?”

Falana replied: “Sure, my lord. I’m the one which intervened between them and the police so the rally might maintain yesterday.”

The Justice of the Peace granted the defendants bail with two accountable sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to March 3, 2026.

Rely one of many cost reads: “That you just Taiwo Hassan A.Okay.A Soweto, Dele Frank, and others at massive, on the twenty eighth day of January, 2026 at Ikeja Allen Avenue, Alausa and the Home of Meeting premises Lagos within the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: conduct prone to trigger breach of peace threatening, violence, illegal meeting and obstructing the free stream of site visitors and thereby dedicated an offence punishable underneath part 411 of the Felony Legal guidelines of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

Rely two states that the defendants allegedly threatened members of the general public who failed to hitch the protest, an offence punishable underneath part 56 of the Felony Regulation of Lagos State, 2015.

Rely three accuses them of conduct prone to trigger a breach of the peace, opposite to part 57 of the Felony Regulation of Lagos State, 2015.

In depend 4, the police allege obstruction of site visitors by blocking a public freeway with a car carrying a public deal with system, punishable underneath part 57(C) of the legislation.

Rely 5 alleges that the defendants sang abusive songs in opposition to the police and the Lagos State Authorities with intent to impress and tarnish the picture of the state.