Deji Adeyanju, Convener of Concerned Nigerians, has been granted bail.
He was granted bail on Thursday by the Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja.
Femi Fani Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation and Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, among others, stormed the Magistrate Court in Abuja on Thursday morning express solidarity with Adeyanju, who is standing trial on allegations of “cyberstalking, inciting disturbance and criminal defamation”.
The offence is punishable under Section 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24(1) of the CyberCrime Prohibition and Protection Act 2015.
Idiat Akanni, the presiding magistrate, said the offence is bailable, noting that Adeyanju should not have been kept in custody. She, therefore, admitted him to bail on the condition that he must produce two sureties with N500,000 in like sum, and the sureties must not be less than Grade 12 in the civil service.
Adeyanju was rearrested on Monday December 3, 2018 after he was initially released from prison by the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (FSARS) on offences bordering on “cyberstalking, inciting disturbance and criminal defamation”.
Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, had also written a petition against Adeyanju for “promoting terrorism on social media” regarding the attack on soldiers in Melete.
Speaking on the arrest, Fani-Kayode said: “The excesses of the Police have exposed the number of issues happening with the military and so on. That he should be locked up, charge to court, granted bail and rearrested. This is unacceptable and I will urge the government to reconsider the way they are handling this matter”.
The case was adjourned till January 17, 2019 for hearing.
