The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the immediate release of about 114 #EndBadGovernance protesters (minors and adults) who had earlier been arraigned by the Nigeria Police Force.
Justice Obiora Egwatu passed the verdict in a brief ruling on Tuesday, striking out the case against the protesters as requested by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), led by Lateef Fagbemi SAN.
Nairametrics previously reported that President Bola Tinubu had instructed the AGF on Monday to lawfully facilitate the release of all minors arrested by the Nigerian Police Force during the End Bad Governance protests.
What Happened in Court
At the resumed hearing, counsel for the AGF, Mohammed Abubakar, told the judge that by virtue of Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, the AGF had taken over the case from the Inspector General of Police.
The trial judge, Justice Obiora Egwatu, on Tuesday, struck out the charges following an application by the AGF’s counsel, M. D. Abubakar, to take over and discontinue the suit.
He took the opportunity to discontinue the treason-related cases against the defendants.
The defendants’ legal team did not object to the request for discontinuance.
Subsequently, Justice Egwatu struck out the charges and ordered the defendants’ release from detention.
What You Should Know
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, recently disclosed at a press briefing at the State House that the AGF, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, had been tasked with expediting their release.
“The President has directed that all minors be released and reunited with their families wherever they are in the country. A committee has been established to examine the issues surrounding their arrest, detention, and release. All law enforcement agents involved in the case will be investigated, and anyone found wanting will be held accountable,” he said.
- The minister further stated that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction will oversee the welfare of the minors and work toward reuniting them with their families.
- Nairametrics also reported that Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN had directed the Nigerian Police Force to transfer the case file involving the 114 protesters, including minors and adults, accused of “destabilizing” Nigeria, for review.
- In a statement on Friday, the AGF responded to the Federal High Court’s approval of a N10 million bail bond for each of the 114 protesters (both adults and minors), accused of burning police stations, the High Court Complex, and the National Communications Commission (NCC) Complex during the End Bad Governance protests.
- The total bail amounts to N1,140,000,000, with each defendant required to provide two sureties of the same amount.
Following widespread reactions to the arraignment and detention of the protesters, Fagbemi stated that his office would need to examine certain aspects of the treason matter to “make an informed decision.”
Fagbemi acknowledged that the court had ordered the defendants to remain in detention (at the Correctional Facility and Borstal Home), with the case adjourned to January 2025. He noted that it is beyond his authority to alter the court’s order.
However, he confirmed that his office has instructed the return of the case file and will seek an earlier hearing date. “It is not within my power to vary the court’s order remanding the defendants in detention centers and adjourning the case to January. However, I have directed the Nigerian Police to transfer the case file to my office and hand it over to the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF) by tomorrow, Saturday, November 2, 2024.”
- Nairametrics also reported that Justice Obiora Egwatu granted bail to the defendants on Friday after hearing arguments from both the defendants’ lawyers and the counsel for the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
- Additionally, Nairametrics reports that these new defendants are in addition to ten individuals involved in case number FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, who, along with a British citizen named Andrew Martin Wynne, are accused of conspiring to destabilize Nigeria and intimidate President Bola Tinubu.
- They are alleged to have attacked and injured police officers, setting fire to police stations, the High Court Complex, the NCC Complex, and other locations.
- During the arraignment proceedings on Friday, the 114 protesters, aged 14 to 30, were accused of conspiring with Andrew Martin Wynne to destabilize Nigeria. They were alleged to have attacked and injured police officers and set fire to police stations, the High Court Complex, the NCC Complex, the Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency office, and the NURTW office—charges similar to those against the ten defendants in a separate case.
All 114 pleaded not guilty, allowing them to apply for bail, which the court granted with conditions, including N10 million each and two sureties of the same amount.
