November 5, 2024
1 min read

Court dismisses charges against 119 #EndBadGovernance protesters

The protesters, initially arrested and arraigned on November 1, faced charges of treasonable felony, inciting mutiny, and allegedly calling for the military to take over the government from President Bola Tinubu.

The group was divided into two batches during arraignment: the first batch included 76 protesters, 32 of whom were minors, while the second comprised 43 individuals.

At the resumption of proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecution, M.D. Abubakar, representing the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), informed Justice Egwuatu that the government decided to discontinue the case. Abubakar cited Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants the AGF authority to assume and halt any case in the public interest. Defense counsel Femi Falana (SAN) did not oppose the application, agreeing it aligned with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the Child Rights Act.

Upon the defense’s agreement, Justice Egwuatu approved the AGF’s request to take over the case and subsequently dismissed all charges. The judge also ordered the immediate release of the accused, who were held in remand despite their absence in court.

The arrests of these protesters, including minors, sparked widespread criticism, especially due to the visibly poor health of many detainees, four of whom reportedly collapsed in court. Following the outcry, the AGF intervened, instructing the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to transfer the case file to his office.

The protests, branded as #EndBadGovernance, began in early August as citizens voiced frustration over rising economic hardship and poor governance. During the demonstrations, some protesters were tear-gassed, arrested, and even shot at by security forces.

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