Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, has directed the police to transfer the case files of all individuals arrested during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
This follows a chaotic scene at a federal high court in Abuja on Friday, where some minors among the 76 protesters charged collapsed while awaiting their arraignment.
The court subsequently granted bail to the defendants, setting the amount at N10 million each. During the proceedings, the prosecutor requested the judge to exclude the names of those who collapsed from the charges.
In light of these events, Fagbemi expressed his intention to review the situation to make an informed decision regarding the legal proceedings.
“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,” the AGF stated.
“There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me to take an informed decision.”
Fagbemi acknowledged that the court had remanded the defendants in detention centers and postponed the case until 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,” he clarified.
However, he instructed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file to his office and hand it over to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) on Saturday, November 2, 2024. Furthermore, he directed the DPPF to initiate steps to request an earlier court date for the case.
The arraignment of minors has drawn widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally. Amnesty International criticized the detainment as unlawful, highlighting the government’s apparent disregard for legal standards.
Notable figures, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Anambra Governor Peter Obi, and former senator Shehu Sani, have also voiced their opposition to the minors’ arraignment.
Judge Obiora Egwuatu granted bail to the defendants, stipulating that they must provide two sureties, each valued at N10 million.
One of the sureties is required to be a civil servant of grade level 15 or higher, with a verifiable address within the court’s jurisdiction, while the other must be a parent of the defendant.