A Nigerian Journalist who spent 84 days in prison without a trial has been granted bail last week by the Kaduna state's Federal High Court.
CBN News reported that Luka Binniyat, who was imprisoned for speaking on the government's lack of action on Christian persecution, was released last January 27. Christian humanitarian group CSW confirmed Binniyat's release in a statement posted in their website.
"Journalist and spokesperson for the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Luka Binniyat, has been granted bail by a Federal High Court in the capital of Nigeria's Kaduna state, after spending 84 days in pre-trial detention," CSW said.
Binniyat wrote an article in September 2021 regarding the government's lack of action on attacks made by Fulani militants to Christians residing in three Local Government Areas of Southern Kaduna. The attack involved the abduction of 27 people and the death of a minimum of 49 people. Binniyat was then placed, as Christianity Daily reported in November, in a "clamped" prison cell since it was in a "tiny, dinghy, crammed jail with some hardened-looking criminals."
"I was smuggled here from the police detention facility in Gabasawa after four days without trial. (I was held in) dehumanizing conditions. I am yet to be taken before a judge. I fear that my life is in danger. I just managed to get this phone," Binniyat told International Christian Concern (ICC).
Binniyat's charges included defaming Kaduna State's Internal Security Commissioner Samuel Aruwan, cyberstalking, and abetting and aiding cybercrime offenses. However, Binniyat's legal counsel, Barrister Yakubu Bawa, raised that his imprisonment had more to do on him being a Christian than anything else. Bawa pointed out that he previously pleaded with the court to release Binniyat in line with the Nigerian Constitution but was refused bail.
"He is innocent-he was just expressing his freedom as a journalist. The state government's law is threatening to journalists," Bawa told ICC.
CSW disclosed that Binniyat was originally scheduled for a trial on January 24 but it was canceled because the presiding judge didn't arrive due to a "missed" flight. The trial then proceeded on January 27 when Binniyat pleaded "not guilty" to the charges accused him.
During the hearing, Binniyat was arraigned and allowed a bail application, which stipulated paying a total of N1million ($2,427.41) that included two sureties who reside in Kaduna and own properties with "certificates of ownership" stating the same amount. Binniyat's trial will adjourn until February 28 and faces up to three years imprisonment with a penalty of N7 million ($16,980.72).
CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas expressed appreciation for Binniyat's release but raised the need for the government to respect and apply "due process" in handling his case and towards their dealings with citizens.
"CSW is pleased to learn Mr. Binniyat has finally been granted bail, after enduring a lengthy and unwarranted period of pre-trial detention in a maximum-security prison. We urge the Kaduna state authorities to ensure due process continues to be observed as his trial progresses and to prioritize the arrest and prosecution of genuine instigators and perpetrators of violence, along with the protection of citizens regardless of creed or ethnicity," Thomas said.
According to CSW, Binniyat was first "detained arbitrarily" in 2017 for charges similarly connected to an article he wrote that are said to be "false." Binniyat in that instance apologized to the public though he made "strenuos effort to retract" his statements even before the article was published. Binniyat was released then 96 days after detention through bail.
