BREAKING: Nigerian Federal High Court Strikes Out Treason Charges Against 119 #EndBadGovernance Protesters
On Tuesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out treason charges against 119 Nigerians who had been detained since August for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest. The decision was issued by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, following an application from M.D. Abubakar, counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), who sought to withdraw the charges.
During the hearing, Abubakar requested the court’s permission for the AGF to take over and discontinue the case. Previously, Fusion Chronicles Nigeria reported that malnourished minors involved in the case were rejected at Kuje Prison and subsequently held in a facility designated for adults by the Nigeria Police Force’s Intelligence Response Team in Apo, Federal Capital Territory.
Though Justice Egwuatu had granted bail to 24 of the minors under stringent conditions, nearly 20 of them were later hospitalized, sources told Fusion Chronicles Nigeria on Friday night. This followed widespread national and international condemnation, which prompted President Bola Tinubu to order the release of the underage detainees on November 1.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this decision at an emergency briefing in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Fusion Chronicles Nigeria also reported that Vice President Kashim Shettima is set to lead an official handover ceremony to transfer custody of the malnourished minors to their respective state governors from the northern region.
In a press statement released on Monday night, Nigerian Police Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, claimed that security operatives had investigated and responded to allegations of malnourishment among the detained minors.
