A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, has convicted and discharged six men who had been on trial for their involvement in the 2020 #EndSARS protests. The defendants, Daniel Joyinbo (31), Adigun Sodiq (28), Kehinde Shola (32), Salaudeen Kamilu (29), Sodiq Usseni (33), and Azeez Isiaka (34), had been accused of breaching public peace during the nationwide protests.
After entering a plea bargain with the Lagos State Government, the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges. Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi, presiding over the case, reviewed the plea bargain and found the defendants guilty. However, instead of sentencing them to further imprisonment, she cautioned and discharged them, emphasizing that they had already spent nearly four years in custody.
“The defendants have endured significant time in custody, and it is evident they have learned valuable lessons during this period,” Magistrate Osunsanmi remarked during the proceedings.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, presented an amended charge against the defendants, noting that their actions on November 23, 2020, at Ebutte Metta, Lagos, were likely to cause a breach of public peace, in violation of Section 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. Dr. Martins urged the court to consider the guilty plea in sentencing.
In response, the defendants’ legal representative, T.D. Ojeshino, pleaded for leniency. “My Lord, these individuals are first-time offenders and, in some cases, the breadwinners for their families. They have been in custody since 2020 and have truly learned their lessons. I humbly ask the court to temper justice with mercy,” Ojeshino stated.
After considering these arguments, the court chose to release the six men, concluding the long-standing case that had been a significant part of the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests.
