The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has assumed control of the case involving 75 minors who were arraigned in the Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday.
The protesters, aged between 12 and 15, face 10 counts of terrorism, attempted overthrow of the government, and mutiny due to their involvement in the recent #EndBadGovernance protests.
Their arraignment has drawn significant backlash from civil society organizations and opposition leaders, who have condemned the prosecution and detention of minors.
Critics have called on the Federal Government to address the matter urgently.
In a statement on Friday night, AGF Fagbemi acknowledged awareness of the case and highlighted that certain aspects of it require further review to ensure informed decisions are made.
He clarified that while his office is prepared to take action, it does not have the authority to alter the court’s order, which remands the minors in detention and schedules their next court appearance for January.
“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,” Fagbemi’s statement read. He added, “There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me to take an informed decision.”
The AGF directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file to his office for review and hand it over to the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF) by Saturday, November 2, 2024.
He also instructed the DPPF to seek an earlier court date to expedite the proceedings.
In Friday’s court session, Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted bail to 67 out of the 76 protesters, setting bail at ₦10 million each. Bail terms stipulate that those under 15 years of age must present a civil servant as a surety.
The minors, many of whom appeared frail and visibly ill, struggled to stand and were described as malnourished.
Four had to be escorted out of the courtroom due to their inability to remain upright, with some writhing in pain on the floor.
The #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place from August 1 to 10, were driven by widespread economic hardship, prompting citizens across Nigeria to take to the streets in protest.
