- Their arraignment has sparked widespread condemnation and outrage among Nigerians with many describing it as a new low in Nigeria’s descent into a failed State.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, will now oversee the case of minors arraigned for protesting hardship in the country.
In view of this, Fagbemi has asked the Nigeria Police to transfer the casefile of the 76 Endbadgovernance protesters who were arraigned for treason.
The development was consequent upon the arraignment of the #Endbadgovernance protesters, mostly minors, who were later granted N10 million bail each, while the matter was adjourned till January 2025.
One of the minors fainted during court proceeding on Friday.
Their arraignment has sparked widespread condemnation and outrage among Nigerians with many describing it as a new low in Nigeria’s descent into a failed State.
But in a statement on Friday, the AGF disclosed that the case would be taken over by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) under the Office of AGF from today, Saturday, 2nd November, 2024.
He said moves had begun on how to get the court to bring the adjournment date forward than the January next date.
Fagbemi added that his move on the matter was necessary to make him make an informed decision.
“It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the Endbadgovernance violent protest in court for various offences, including treason.
“There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me to take an informed decision.
“I am aware that the court has remanded the defendants in detention centres and adjourned the case to January.
“It is not within my power to vary the order of the court remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January.
“I have, however, directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the casefile to my office and hand over the same to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) tomorrow, Saturday, 2nd November, 2024.
“I have further directed the DPPF to immediately put machinery in motion for consideration of the court to bring the adjournment date forward (an earlier date),” he stated.
Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, have condemned the arraignment, calling the treatment and arraignment of the minors ‘inhumane’.
This comes as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, and Amnesty International Nigeria asked Tinubu’s government and the court to release all the 76 arraigned minors
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