Tinubu Withdraws Charges Against Minors in #EndBadGovernance Protest Case

The Federal Government has withdrawn treason charges against minors who were involved in the #EndBadGovernance protests earlier this year. The decision was announced by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on Tuesday, November 5.

The government notified the Federal High Court in Abuja that it would discontinue the case against the minors, citing provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. The application for discontinuance was filed by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, who also requested that the proceedings be held without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with the Child Rights Act.

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, and other defence counsel indicated they had no objections to the motion, leading to the court’s decision to strike out the charges.

The minors aged between 14 and 17, had been among 76 individuals charged for their participation in the protests, which called for greater accountability from the government. Last Friday, the minors were unable to stand trial after collapsing in court, reportedly due to ill-health and malnutrition. They were subsequently removed from the charge sheet.

Following public outcry over the treatment of the minors, the Attorney-General ordered that the case be reviewed, resulting in the withdrawal of charges. Police had previously removed the minors from the charge sheet, though other defendants remain under trial, with strict bail conditions.