A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has ruled on the case of six men accused of disrupting public peace during 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 reached a plea bargain with the Lagos State Government, admitting guilt to the charge of breaching public peace.
Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi, after reviewing the plea bargain, found the defendants guilty but opted for caution and discharge rather than sentencing, given their nearly four-year detention.
During the proceedings, Dr. Babajide Martins, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), outlined the amended charges, stating that the breach occurred on November 23, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. in Ebutte Metta, Lagos. He noted that their actions contravened Section 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and requested sentencing based on their guilty pleas.
The defendants’ legal representative, T.D. Ojeshino, appealed for leniency, highlighting that the accused were first-time offenders and, in some cases, primary family providers. Ojeshino stressed that their extended time in custody had served as a significant lesson.
