…AGF Directs Police to Transfer EndBadGovernance Protesters Case File to His Office

…Atiku blasts President Tinubu Over the Detention of Underage EndBadGovernance Protesters

There was a public outrage against the decision of a Federal High Court in Abuja to grant 76 defendants arraigned and charged with participating in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests. Most of those paraded in Court looked malnourished and underaged.

Their trial coincided with two other high-profile cases, one involving a member of the House of Representatives, Hon Alex Ikwechegh who assaulted an e-hailing (Bolt) driver and was granted bail with the sum of N500,000.00 and another one involving Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as the Very Dark Man for wearing a Police uniform who was granted bail with the sum of N2 million.

Many Nigerians were outraged by the sight of the youth who had been in detention for about three months. They were picked up from Kaduna and Kano states but brought for detention and trial in Abuja. Some lawyers opined that they should have been tried in the states where the offences were committed.

Civil Society Organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability have also condemned the continued detention of the 76 suspects.

In addition to the sum of money, the Presiding Judge Obiora Egwuatu also directed that each defendant must secure two sureties in the same amount. Each of the sureties must be a civil servant at grade level 15 or higher, with a verifiable address within the court’s jurisdiction, while the other must be a parent of the defendant.

The court had originally set the arraignment date for 76 defendants, most of whom are minors. During the proceedings, many of the children appeared ill and malnourished as they were called to take their pleas.

Due to space constraints, some of the minors were forced to stand outside the designated area, while four of them allegedly collapsed and had to be urgently escorted from the courtroom, prompting the judge to temporarily suspend proceedings until order was restored.

However, when the session resumed, the prosecution requested that the names of the four affected minors be removed from the charges. The remaining defendants were arraigned and pleaded not guilty. The 76 individuals, arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano states, face charges of treason, among other offenses.

AGF Directs Police to Transfer #EndBadGovernance Protesters Case File to His Office
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, has taken over the case of the #EndBadGovernance protesters arraigned in the Federal High Court Abuja on Friday.

The protesters, 76 in number between the ages of 12 and 15, were charged with 10 counts of terrorism, an attempt to overthrow the government, and alleged mutiny over their participation in the nationwide protest.

In a statement on Friday, the AGF admitted that he is aware of the case but said there are some issues his office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable him make an informed decision.

He, however, said that it is not within his power to vary the order of the court remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January. He, however, noted that he has directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file to his office and hand it over to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) on Saturday 2nd November 2024.
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The statement reads: “It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the #endbad governance violent protest in court for various offences including treason.

“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).”

FG’s Lawyer Claims #EndBadGovernance Protesters Are Adults

Mr. Rimazonte Ezekiel, a federal government prosecutor, claimed that all #EndBadGovernance protesters arraigned before the court on Friday are adults.

The police arraigned 76 defendants for allegedly participating in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest, which took place between August 1 and 10 across the country.

Speaking to journalists after the court session, Mr. Ezekiel, who is the government’s counsel in the case, denied that there were minors among the suspects, adding that “most of them are married men”.

He claimed that the “small kids” present in court “came with their parents to greet their loved ones” and “are not even the real suspects standing trial in this case”.

“All of these boys that we brought to the court today are adults. Most of them are married men; none of them is a minor. Some of them are university graduates,” Ezekiel said.

“The small kids you see here came with their parents to greet their loved ones. They are not even the real suspects standing trial in this case. These boys were arrested in Kaduna and Zaria. These boys were using the Russian flag and calling on the military to remove our president.”

Vice President Atiku Abubakar Reacts:
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the arrest, detention, and arraignment of 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters.

Atiku condemned the actions of the government, stating that even underage children have not been spared from what he describes as the “wickedness” of Tinubu, who he referred to as “T Pain.”

In a statement on his X platform (formerly Twitter), the former vice president expressed his anger, saying, “A disturbing video of malnourished children being arraigned before a Federal High Court on the orders of the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government has come to my attention. The horrible scene, reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp, once again reflects the low value this government places on the lives of the vulnerable, especially children.”

He emphasized the importance of protecting children’s rights, referencing Section 11 of the Child’s Rights Act, which guarantees the dignity of every child. “Every child is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly, no child shall be subjected to physical, mental, or emotional injury, abuse, neglect, or maltreatment, including sexual abuse; nor shall any child be subjected to torture, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.”

Alhaji Abubakar criticized the delay in the arraignment of these children, noting: “The children are being prosecuted for their alleged involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protests that occurred between August 1 and August 10, 2024. If they are just being arraigned three months later, one can only imagine the dehumanizing conditions they have endured during their detention.”

“Children, who are among the most affected by these policies, have every right to protest peacefully, as guaranteed by the Constitution and the Child Rights Act. A nation can be assessed by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. It is saddening that even underage children are not spared from the wickedness of T Pain,” he said.

Alhaji Atiku concluded: “The disturbing conditions under which the accused children were brought to court only reinforce the justification for their participation in the protests in the first place.”