A Lagos State Magistrate's Court in Ogba convicted six people, including Daniel Joyinbo, Adigun Sodiq, Kehinde Shola, Salaudeen Kamilu, Sodiq Usseni, and Azeez Isiaka, who were arrested by police during the state's 2020 #EndSARS protest.
Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi convicted them after they pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of causing a breach of peace filed by the state government.
Breach of peace entails a three-month jail sentence or a N15,000 fine.
When the matter finally came up on Thursday, the prosecution team led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr Babajide Martins, informed Magistrate Osunsanmi that they had amended the charges against the suspects and urged the court to call on them to take their plea.
The charge read, “That you, Daniel Joyinbo Joigbo, Adigun Sodiq, Kehinde Shola, Salaudeen Kamilu, Sodiq Usseni, Azeez Isiaka on the 23rd day of November 2020, about 12:00hrs at Ebutte Metta, Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial district did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 168(d) of the law of Lagos state of Nigeria 2015.”
After the charge was read to them, the inmates pleaded guilty, prompting Martins to request the court to sentence them in accordance with the law under which they were charged.
However, Tajudeen Ojeshino, the defense counsel, urged with the court to temper justice with mercy.
The Magistrate then questioned the convicts if they understood the charge and the court's duty to impose the maximum sentence. They said yes.
In her judgment, the Magistrate convicted the defendants but released them on time already spent in prison.
