Six men charged with breach of the public peace during the 2020 ‘Endsars’ protest have been discharged and acquitted by an Ikeja Chief Magistrate Court.
The defendants, Daniel Joyinbo, 31, Adigun Sodiq, 28, Kehinde Shola,32, Salaudeen Kamilu, 29, Sodiq Usseni, 33 and Azeez Isiaka, 34 had in a plea bargain agreement pleaded guilty to a count charge of breach of the public peace preferred against them by Lagos State Government.
The Magistrate, Bola Osunsanmi, after listening to the plea bargain agreement found the defendants guilty and convicted them of the offence.
Osunsanmi however, cautioned and discharged them, noting that they had spent almost four years in custody.
Previously, the Director for Public Prosecutions, DPP, Babajide Martins, told the court that he had an amended charge.
Martins said that the defendants committed the offence on November 23, 2020, at noon, at Ebutte Metta, Lagos.
The DPP director said the defendants displayed themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of the public peace.
Martins pointed out that the offence contravened Section 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
He, however, admonished the court to sentence the defendants based on their plea.
On his part, their legal representative, T.D. Ojeshino, pleaded to the court to tamper justice with mercy.
He said “My lord, I plead the court to tamper justice with mercy as the defendants are first-time offenders.
“Some are breadwinners of their families and still very young.
“They have been in custody since 2020 and have truly learnt their lessons,” he said
