Some of the minors in court
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The Federal Government has succumbed to pressure and withdrawn the treason charge it entered against the minors, who participated in the recent #EndBadGovernance protest in August.
Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who officially took over the case file on Tuesday had notified the Federal High Court in Abuja of the Federal Government’s decision to discontinue the case against the protesters.
Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, DPPF, who moved the application cited sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015 as basis.
He also applied that the minors should be excluded from the court based on the provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.
The defence lawyers, including Femi Fanala, SAN, a senior human rights lawyer, did not oppose the applications hence the Justice Obiora Egwuatu, the trial judge, struck out the charge.
Recall that the minors, aged between 14 and 17 years, were charged with treason for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests in August and been detained by the police since then.
However, four of the 76 minors had slumped as they were to be arraigned before the court last Friday, leading to scathing attacks on the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu.
Consequently, the AGF, ordered police to transfer the case file to his office for a review.
President Tinubu also ordered the immediate discontinuance of the trial and a detailed investigation into the arrest and detention of the minors.
Meanwhile the Northern Senators’ Forum has lauded President Tinubu for ordering the release of the minors.
Sen. Abdulaziz Yar’adua, the Chairman of the forum, in a statement released in Abuja, described Tinubu’s decision
as a demonstration of his commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of Nigerian youth.
“His directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to expedite the release process is a welcome development.”
