Why Court Failed to Entertain Isaac Bristol’s Bail Hearing
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned Isaac Bristol’s bail hearing until September 27, FIJ can report.
Bristol appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite on Wednesday morning alongside Deji Adeyanju, his lawyer, but the judge did not entertain his hearing.
Speaking to the press via WhatsApp after the court sat, Adeyanju said, “The court granted bail to the protesters, but moved Bristol’s bail application to the 27th of this month.”
Adeyanju explained that while #EndBadGovernance protesters came before the judge on terrorism charges on September 2, Bristol appeared a day later, and although the judge took bail application for the protesters on the day of arraignment, Nwite did not accept the same for Bristol.
Nwite committed him to the Correctional facility in Kuje, Abuja until Wednesday.
The press earlier reported that Nwite granted N10 million bail to each protester, but as he only took Bristol’s application after the arraignment, he adjourned the matter to the next available date.
The police filed nine charges against Bristol. These charges border on terrorism, money laundering, cybercrime and evidence tampering.
They described him as ‘Pidom’, a whistleblower who operated the X account ‘@PIDOMNigeria’.
According to the charge sheet, Bristol used the X handle to incite members of the public to protest in a bid to topple the government, leaked documents in violation of the Official Secrets Act, received money which was proceeds of fraud, and destroyed his phone when policemen broke into his house to abduct him.
Bristol has denied links to this X handle. He insists the police are holding him illegally and violating his fundamental human rights.
FIJ
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