AMID widespread outrage over the arraignment of minors among #EndBadGovernance protesters, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to transfer the case file to his office for immediate review.
In a statement on Friday, November 1, Fagbemi cited the need for a comprehensive review to determine the next steps, while assuring his commitment to a fair process.
The minors are being slammed with a 10-count charge bordering on alleged treason, as well as conspiracy to commit a felony with intent to destabilise Nigeria, an offence contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code Act.
They were arrested and detained in August during the nationwide protest, which was sparked by widespread economic hardship.
“There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me to take an informed decision,” Fagbemi said in a statement.
This decision followed a nationwide outcry and calls for a fair reassessment of the charges and legal handling of the protestors, many of whom were charged with treason.
The initial arrests and subsequent arraignment of protesters—charged with treason and other offences—have drawn widespread criticism, especially as minors were among those detained.
The ICIR reports how many Nigerians raised concerns regarding the severity of the charges, the due process afforded to the defendants, and the potential infringement on the rights of minors involved.
Many of whom took to social media, condemning the handling of the protests and urging the government to ensure justice.
The incident was heightened when some minors, who were among 76 persons set to be arraigned by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), collapsed in the court on Friday, October 1.
One of the defendants, a minor who is under 18 years old, slumped while the judge was reading the charges.
The boy was taken to the court’s clinic with the assistance of lawyers present in the courtroom.
While Fagbemi acknowledged the court’s authority, stating, “It is not within my power to alter the remand order or the January adjournment,” he expressed his intention to expedite the legal process.
“I have directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file to my office and hand over [the] same to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) tomorrow, Saturday, 2nd November 2024,” he stated.
The AGF further directed that the case file be handed over to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) by Saturday, November 2, 2024.
He instructed the DPPF to prepare a formal application for a revised, sooner court date, saying, “I have directed the DPPF to immediately put machinery in motion for consideration of the court to bring the adjournment date forward.”
The ICIR reported earlier that the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted bail in the sum of N10 million each to minor #EndBadGovernance protesters who were arraigned for participating in the August 2024 protest on Friday.
Some minors who were sent to Kuje prison for not meeting the N10 million bail each granted them by the court were subsequently rejected by officials at the facility.
According to reports, the minors who were granted bail on Friday, November 1, are under the age of 18 years, and in addition to the bail money, they were expected to provide one surety, who needs to be a civil servant.
But when they could not meet their bail condition, they were taken to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Narrating what transpired at the Kuje Correctional Centre, the executive director (ED) of Hope Behind Bars, Funke Adeoye, stated that on getting to Kuje, 27 minors were rejected and were subsequently taken to the office of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Abuja.
According to her, the prosecution team was trying to use a single remand warrant for all 27 minors, and the officers at Kuje rejected this and insisted that individual warrants are required for each minor.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M