The prosecution in the trial of Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, reported to a Federal High Court yesterday that it had paid the N200,000 fine awarded against it the previous day for delay.
At the commencement of proceedings yesterday, lead prosecution Aminu Alilu confirmed that the payment was made to the defendants on Wednesday.
Alilu also applied that the amended two counts newly filed against the defendants on February 10, 2020, be substituted with the old charges filed on September 20, 2019.
Defence lawyer Abdul Mahmud confirmed that the N200,000 cost was paid on Wednesday to the defence through the bank account of a senior member of the team, Mr Olayinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN).
The defendants were later arraigned on the amended two-count charge.
The prosecution accused them, in the new charge, of planning a protest, tagged: #RevolutionNow, aimed at toppling the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The amendment of the charge reduced the original seven counts to two.
The prosecution discarded the earlier alleged offences of money laundering and cyber-stalking Buhari by abusing him.
Ruling, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu noted that the court had long issued the order for the service of the materials on the defendants.
The judge granted the prosecution’s request for two weeks to compile the materials and have them served on the defence.
She adjourned till March 11 for trial.