The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, has directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file of protesters arraigned over the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest to his office.
This comes after chaos erupted at a federal high court in Abuja on Friday when some minors among the 76 protesters charged collapsed while waiting to be arraigned.
In a statement, the Minister of Justice said, “It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the endbad governance 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.”
He acknowledged that the Court has remanded the defendants in detention centers and adjourned the case to January, but clarified that it’s not within his power to vary the court order.
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Instead, he directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) to review the case and consider bringing the adjournment date forward.
The arraignment of minors has sparked widespread condemnation, with Amnesty International describing their detainment as unlawful and criticizing the government’s disregard for the law.
Other prominent Nigerians, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Shehu Sani, have also denounced the minors’ arraignment.
Presiding Judge Obiora Egwuatu granted N10 million bail to the defendants, requiring two sureties in like sum.
One surety must be a civil servant of grade level 15 or higher with a verifiable address within the court’s jurisdiction, while the other surety must be a parent of the defendant.
The protest has generated significant controversy, with many questioning the government’s handling of the situation.
