BREAKING: Court dismisses charges against 119 #Endbadgovernance protesters

The Federal High Court, on November 5, 2024, dismissed the charges against 119 #EndBadGovernance protesters in Abuja.

Diaspora Digital Media gathered that all 119 demonstrators were charged with encouraging mutiny and treason, among other offenses on November 1, 2024.

At the prior hearing, the defendants were arraigned in two batches.

Report disclosed that there were 76 demonstrators in the first group, including 32 children, and 43 protesters in the second batch.

After the attorney asked Mr. M. D. Abubakar, the attorney general of the federation, to take over and end the case, the trial judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, struck out the lawsuit.

Earlier on: Tinubu ordered the release of the arraigned underage children

President Bola Tinubu earlier ordered the release of the minors who had been arraigned before an Abuja Federal High Court on November 1, 2024, following the national and international outcry and censure his government received.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris informed state house media of the release during an emergency briefing at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.

Following their rejection by Nigerian Correctional Service personnel at Kuje Prison, Diaspora Digital Media gathered that some of the minors who were arraigned before an Abuja Federal High Court on November 1, were ill.

After being turned away from Kuje Prison, the undernourished children were held by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in the Intelligence Response Team unit in the Apo region of the Federal Capital Territory in an adult-only prison.

According to report, a number of these children who were given strict bail conditions by Justice Obiora Egwuatu were admitted to an unidentified hospital.

The minister, Idris said: “The President has ordered the immediate release of all the minors who have been arrested by the Nigeria Police without prejudice to whatever legal processes they are undergoing.

“He has directed that they be released immediately.

“Secondly, the President has also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to immediately attend to the welfare of these minors, and to ensure their smooth reunion with their parents or guardians wherever they are in the country.

“Thirdly, the President has directed that an administrative committee will be set up immediately, to be headed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, to examine all issues surrounding the arrest, detention, treatment, and finally, the release of these young minors.

“Fourthly, the President has also directed that all law enforcement agents involved in the arrest and the legal processes will be investigated, and if any infractions are found to have been committed by any official of Government, whether from a law enforcement agency or another appropriate authority, disciplinary action will be taken against him or her”, he stated.

The directive came after at least 76 people, including 30 minors, were arraigned and charged with 10 felony offenses, including treason, property destruction, public disturbance, and mutiny.

The trial caused a lot of controversy.

Images and recordings of the incident that were seen showed several of the teens.

These teens were reportedly detained since August, writhing on the court room floor while other inmates attempted to assist them.

One of the photos showed a lawyer attempting to revive a demonstrator who had passed out while standing in the dock.

Justice Emeka Nwite ordered the adolescents to be detained after granting the police’s ex-parte request to hold them for 60 days in order to complete their “investigation” into the demonstrators, who were alleged to have tried to topple President Tinubu.

According to source, 13 of them were brought to court from IRT cells.

The remaining ones were transported from cells dispersed around various divisions of Abuja.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook