The members, who were charged to court by the FCT Command of the Nigerian Police, entered a not guilty plea to the charges which border on homicide, disturbances of public peace and destruction of government properties.
A total number of 60 members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria arrested during the July 22, 2019 protest in the Federal Capital Territory, have been arraigned before an FCT High Court, a report by ChannelsTV said.
The members, who were charged to court by the FCT Command of the Nigerian Police, entered a not guilty plea to the charges which border on homicide, disturbances of public peace and destruction of government properties.
The protest, which took place within the Central Business District of Abuja on July 22, left a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Usman Umar, and Precious Owolabi, a corps member with Channels Television, dead.
The defendants, who claimed not to understand English Language, had the charges read to them in Hausa Language.
Prosecution counsel, Simon Laounge, urged the court to remand the defendants at the correctional yard of the Nigerian Prisons in Kuje having being held in custody by the special anti-robbery squad.
He also urged the court to move its sitting to Kuje due to logistical reasons.
Defence counsel, Bala Dakum, did not oppose the prosecutors’ request but told the court that he intends to move a bail application.
The trial judge, Justice Sulaiman Belgore, remanded the defendants in custody until December 10 when bail application will be heard and the venue of trial decided.