The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out charges brought against 119 #EndBadGovernance protesters, including minors, who were arrested and detained following their involvement in the nationwide protests against economic hardship and poor governance.
The protesters were arraigned on November 1 on charges bordering on treasonable felony, intent to destabilize Nigeria, and inciting to mutiny by calling on the military to take over government from President Bola Tinubu. The defendants were divided into two batches, with the first batch comprising 76 protesters, including 32 minors, and the second batch consisting of 43 protesters.
On Tuesday, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, M. D Abubakar, informed Justice Egwuatu that the Federal Government had decided to take over and discontinue the matter, citing Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution. The defense counsel, Femi Falana (SAN), did not oppose the application, stating that the AGF has the power to take over the case at any stage and exercise discretion to discontinue the suit.
Following the court’s decision to strike out the charges, Justice Egwuatu ordered the immediate release of the accused persons from prison remand, despite their absence in court. This development comes after President Bola Tinubu directed the AGF to ensure their release on Monday.
The arraignment of the protesters, particularly minors, sparked widespread condemnation and public outcry, with many criticizing the government’s handling of the situation. The protesters’ malnourished and sickly appearance, which led to four of them collapsing in court, further fueled the outrage.
The #EndBadGovernance protests took place from August 1 to 10, with Nigerians demonstrating against rising economic hardship and poor governance. During the protests, some demonstrators were tear-gassed, arrested, and shot.
