Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) announced last night that he had asked from the police the case file of the #EndBadGovernance protesters who were arraigned earlier in the day.
Four teenagers among the 118 people arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja in connection with the protest collapsed a few minutes after the commencement of proceedings.
They were accused of treason following their arrest during the August 1 to August 10 #EndBadGovernance protests.
The arraignment of the teenagers in particular drew wide criticism from many quarters yesterday.
Reacting to the criticism Fagbemi said in a statement that he had directed that the case file be transferred to his office by the police.
He said:“It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the end bad governance violent protest in court for various offences including treason. There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me take an informed decision.
“I am aware that the court has remanded the defendants in detention centres and adjourned the case to January. It is not within my power to vary the order of the court remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January.
“I have, however, directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file to my office and hand over same to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) tomorrow, Saturday 2nd November, 2024.
“I have further directed the DPPF to immediately put machinery in motion for consideration of the court to bring the adjournment date forward (an earlier date).”
Four teens collapse in court
All the 118 accused persons appeared before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
They were alleged to have participated in the last #EndBadGovernance protest in Kano State, chanting anti-government slogans, calling for unlawful change of government through military intervention and carrying foreign flags.
According to one of the defence lawyers, Marshall Abubakar, the accused persons were charged in two batches of 76 and 43.
Shortly after the first batch were called, the defendants started mounting the dock. Suddenly, some of them fell down, causing confusion in the court. The development prompted the judge to suspend proceedings.
Health officials from the court’s clinic were immediately invited to attend to those who collapsed.
Abubakar blamed the development on hunger and ill-health on the part of the defendants.
He said: “All these young children are sick and hungry. They have been kept in police custody for weeks without food and proper medical care. They are sick and need proper attention. That is the cause of these unfortunate developments.”
After the defendants were attended to and they regained strength, proceedings resumed, following which the prosecuting lawyer, Audi Garba applied that the names of the four that suffered ill-health, should be excluded from the charge.
Defence lawyers, including Abubakar, did not object, following which Justice Egwuatu struck out their names from the first charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/503/2024, containing names of 76 defendants.
The remaining 72 defendants pleaded not guilty when the 10 counts in the charge were read to them.
Abubakar moved the defendants’ bail application, against which the prosecution did not file a counter affidavit.
Ruling, Justice Egwuatu noted that the prosecution did not counter the defendants’ assurances that they would be available for trial and would not tamper with witnesses nor jump bail if granted.
The judge also noted that some of the defendants were young children below the age of 18 years.
He then granted bail to each of the defendants at N10million with two sureties, one of which must be a federal civil servant from level 15, while the second should be either of each defendants’ parents or a sibling.
He adjourned till January 24, 2025 for the commencement of trial.
On the second charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/527/2024, 42 defendants, out of the 43 listed on the charge, were eventually arraigned yesterday.
They were accused of committing similar offences in Kaduna during the protest.
Before their arraignment, the prosecuting lawyer applied that one of the 43 defendants suffered ill-health and should be excluded from the proceedings, following which the judge struck out the name from the charge.
The remaining 42 pleaded not guilty to the charge and were also granted bail on similar conditions as the earlier ones.
In some of the counts in the charge: they defendants were alleged to have, “while acting in concert with drew Martin Wynne (aka Andrew Povich) a British Citizen, with intent to destabilise Nigeria, levied war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the President by attacking and injuring police officers and burning police stations, High Court complex, NCC Complex, Kano Printing Press, Government House Kano, Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency office, NURTW office and several other buildings thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 410 of the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004.
With intent to break down law and order in the above states, inciting the Nigeria Military, the Russian government, and other western countries to topple the democratically elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency President Bola. Ahmad Tinubu government and other state governors using Russian flags and other flags of other countries in violent protest against law and order, that Nigeria is not safe, and calling for the suspension of democracy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Senator demands probe of underaged protesters’ detention, prosecution
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, asked Police Inspector General Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate what he called inhuman detention and prosecution of some minors who were alleged to have participated in the #EndBadGovernance protests.
Sani Musa, who represents Niger East Senatorial District, strongly condemned the detention of the minors and urged the NJC to probe the decision of the Judge who presided over their case.
It is deeply troubling that, despite the hardships and challenges these young children have endured, there is a push to have them imprisoned rather than afforded compassion and understanding. Such actions are not only inhumane but also unjust,” he said.
He also condemned the judicial stance advocating the continued detention of the minors, which is entirely unacceptable and contrary to the principles of justice and fairness.
Nation