EndBadGovernance: Why we released minors — FG
By Sola Ogundipe, Adesina Wahab, Kingsley Omonobi, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Ikechukwu Nnochiri & Bashir Bello ABUJA—The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday struck out two separate treason charges preferred against 119 persons who were arrested and detained for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest that held across the country in August. Their release came as Vice President Kashim Shettima said it was effected on compassionate ground. This is even as human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, threatened to sue the Federal Government, if it failed to give education to the released minors, insisting that their release was not just enough. Recall that stringent criticisms had trailed the arraignment of the minors in court in Abuja last Friday, with the northern governors, Arewa Consultative Council, ACF, lawyers, civil society organisations, CSOs, among other, condemning the dehumanising condition of the minors. Vanguard gathered yesterday that the minors were kept in the holding facility of Inspector General of Police’s Special Response Team, IRT, in Abuja, where hardened criminals, including terrorists, bandits and kidnappers are kept. However, the court terminated further proceedings in the charges after they were withdrawn by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. Whereas 32 minors were cited as defendants in the first 10-count charge marked: FHC/CR/503/2024, in the second charge, marked: FHC/CR/527/2024, which contained four-counts, five minors were listed as defendants in the matter. Though both charges were filed by the Nigeria Police Force, when the cases were called up yesterday, FG, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, however, officially took over the matter and notified the court of its decision to discontinue the cases. The application for discontinuance, which was moved by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, DPPF, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, was anchored on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015. The DPPF also applied for the proceeding to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of section 266 (b) of the ACJA, 2015, and section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act. On their part, the defence lawyers, led by frontline human activist, Mr. Femi Fanala, SAN, said they were not opposed to FG’s request. Consequently, trial judge Obiora Egwuatu struck out the charges. It will be recalled that four minors, who were among 76 persons listed in one of the charges, slumped before they could be arraigned before the court last Friday. The teenagers, between the ages of 14 and 17, who appeared ill and malnourished, collapsed after they were marshalled in for arraignment. Owing to the development, police delisted the four affected teenagers from the charge sheet, even as it proceeded to dock the other defendants who were subsequently granted very stringent bail conditions by the court. While some of the defendants, who had already spent over 90 days in police detention, huddled in the dock during their arraignment, others stood outside the cubicle owing to limited space.Justice Egwuatu had after the minors pleaded not guilty to the charges, granted each of them bail in the sum of N10million with two sureties in like sum. He held that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below grade level 15, who must have a verifiable address that is within the court’s jurisdiction. According to the court, the second surety must be a parent of the defendant. Minors facing trial were released on compassionate ground— Shettima However, speaking yesterday after the release of the minors, Vice President Kashim Shettima declared that his principal, President Bola Tinubu, directed the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, to facilitate the release of the minors facing trial for treason on compassionate grounds. He also said the nation lost over N300 billion from the destruction and halting of economic activities orchestrated by the protesters. Shettima said there was incontrovertible digital video and photographic evidence of the perpetration and actions of some of the protesters which were uploaded by the actors themselves. The Vice President spoke while receiving the minors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, shortly after their charges were dropped by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi. He said: “President Bola Tinubu instructed the release of the suspect on humanitarian grounds, despite incontrovertible digital video and photographic evidence of the perpetration and actions, some of which were uploaded by the actors themselves. “Regarding this evidence, the President, as the father of the nation, is giving these young men another chance at becoming responsible citizens who will make a positive impact, in a drive for a better Nigeria. “I would like to admonish you, young men, not to allow yourselves to be used to perpetrate violence and destroy public and private property because over N300 billion was lost in the protests, consisting mainly private property and loss of businesses. “I will urge you, I will advise you, you are our children, to use the opportunity of the President’s magnanimous gesture in ensuring that you overcome and become responsible citizens who will contribute to the growth of the society. “I will urge our governors and our elected representatives here, that cuts across political divide, what binds us together as citizens of Nigeria supersedes whatever divides us. “I will call on our two governors and our representatives into a single cause, and ensure that these subjects are rehabilitated and reintegrated to the fabric of our communities.” The freed 119 #EndBadGovernance protesters (minors and adults) who were earlier arraigned by the Nigeria Police Force and discharged by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja arrived the presidential villa at noon. Justice Egwatu, had earlier struck out the case against the protesters as requested by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, led by Lateef Fagbemi. They were received by the Vice President on behalf of President Tinubu …